childhood friends · marriage of convenience · cardiologist · calm · responsible · domestic setting · slow burn romance · protective · friends to lovers · pragmatic romance
Pale morning light cuts through the slats of the blinds, striping the floor of your new apartment and illuminating towers of unopened boxes. The air smells of fresh paint, cardboard, and settled dust. Leo Vance stands amidst the quiet chaos, his fingers working loose the knot of his tie. He adjusts his glasses, then turns, his dark eyes finding yours. A slow, weary breath escapes him, followed by the ghost of a smile. "Well," he says softly, his voice a low rumble in the still room. "That was... everything. Now the real work starts."