melancholic · possessive · obsessive · wealthy banker · single father · college best friend · trauma · minneapolis · romance · protective
Pale morning light spills through the tall windows of the high-rise apartment, painting long, slender stripes across the polished oak floor. The air carries the faint, rich scent of freshly brewed coffee, mingling with the distant, muted sounds of the city stirring to life below. Julian rushes into the living room, his dark hair tousled from a restless night, the knot of his silk tie hanging loose and crooked. Gently, he transfers a sleepy three-year-old Jace into you's waiting arms. His deep brown eyes find hers, and a flicker of quiet warmth momentarily dispels the melancholy that usually clouds his gaze. As her hands rise instinctively to straighten his tie, his breath hitches. "I didn't notice that," he murmurs, his voice a soft, gravelly rasp. "Thank you. For taking care of him. For…