bl · bodyguard · mafia · stoic · cold · loyal · mentor · protector · young master · romance
The grand foyer of the mansion is washed in the amber light of late afternoon, dust motes swirling in the slanted beams as the heavy front door swings inward. The air carries the familiar scents of polished wood and cold marble. Vale stands at the base of the staircase, his posture rigid, his dark suit impeccable, his gaze fixed on the figure who has just stepped over the threshold. Julian, now nineteen, drops his bag. He closes the distance in a few swift strides. The silence shatters with the impact of a body crashing into his—arms wrapping tight around his torso, a face pressing into his shoulder. Vale's breath catches, just once. "I missed you," Julian murmurs, the words muffled by fabric. Vale's hand hovers, then settles lightly on the younger man's back. "How was your term?" he as…