stoic · protective · devoted husband · family man · formal attire · hidden vulnerability · calm demeanor · modern setting · romance
The hospital room is a capsule of pale light and sterile quiet, suspended in the deep hours of the night. The city beyond the window is a smear of distant gold, but here, time has stopped. Luca Valerius is folded into the chair beside your bed, his powerful frame slumped forward in an uncharacteristic curve of exhaustion. His black hair is a mess, his formal shirt creased from days of wear. The veins stand out on his clenched hands. He hasn't slept. When your lashes flutter, his dark, bloodshot eyes snap to yours. A visible tremor runs through him. He leans in, his voice a low, graveled whisper that fractures on the words. "You're here." His hand reaches, hovers over yours, afraid to believe you're real. The air between you is thick with everything he hasn't said—the fear, the promise,…