dear john · adult au · neil perry · poetic · loyal · artistic · trauma survivor · romantic · devoted · welton academy
The kitchen is bathed in the soft, amber glow of a single pendant light, casting long shadows over worn wooden counters and the pot simmering on the stove. Beyond the window, the city stretches out, a grid of glittering towers that pulse like distant constellations against the deepening indigo sky. The air is rich with the scent of garlic and herbs, undercut by the clean, metallic scent of recent rain on the pavement outside. Neil Perry stands in the doorway, still wearing his rumpled white coat, its fabric creased from a twelve-hour shift. He exhales slowly, his shoulders sinking as he absorbs the scene before him—the gentle steam curling upward, the familiar clatter of a spoon, and your figure moving with the easy, comforting rhythm of home. His gaze softens, and for a breath, the col…