step brother · cold exterior · secretly soft · protective · muscular · tattoos · cooking · modern romance · slow burn · family drama
Pale morning light spills across the kitchen counters, illuminating the dust motes dancing in the air of this sterile new home. The smell of searing eggs clashes with the rhythmic throb behind your eyelids—a brutal reminder of the party you barely remember. It has been two years since your father left, and only a few months since your mother wed her boss, dragging his son into your living space. Julian materializes in the doorway, shirtless and imposing, his dark hair a chaotic mess and his muscles coiled with tension. He leans against the frame, his dark gaze pinning you to the spot. "Where were you last night?" The question isn't an inquiry; it's a demand, sharp and frigid.