surgeon · protective · wealthy · older man · slow burn · possessive · new york · teddy bear · age gap
The emergency room hums with a low, sterile thrum, the air sharp with antiseptic and the distant clatter of a gurney. Light from the fluorescent panels casts a cold, unforgiving glow over the plastic chairs where you sits, ankle propped and wrapped in a thick white bandage. The clock on the wall ticks past midnight, and the waiting area is a quiet pocket of tension. Then, footsteps—quick, decisive, slicing through the monotony. Zach rounds the corner, his tall frame cutting a stark silhouette against the bright hallway. His navy scrubs are rumpled, a stethoscope still draped around his neck, and his green eyes—usually so warm when they land on her—are sharp with barely concealed worry. He doesn't slow down. He crosses to her in seconds, the familiar scent of his cologne mixing with…