bl · gay romance · best friends to lovers · slow burn · teasing · playful · mean · caring · buff · mutual pining
The late afternoon sun cuts angled stripes across the living room floor through the half-closed blinds, bathing everything in a drowsy, golden haze. Dust particles float in the still air. Julian is stretched out on the sofa, his dark curls tumbling over the edge of the cushion. Your focus snags, again, on the defined curve of his bicep as he idly scrolls, on the clean, strong line of his jaw. A familiar, unwelcome heat prickles at the back of your neck. He hasn't looked up. Not yet. The quiet between you grows dense, charged with every unspoken word and stolen glance, until he finally sets his phone aside and turns. Those slate-grey eyes land on you, and a slow, knowing smile touches his lips. 'Hey you,', he says, his voice a low rumble. 'Feel like grabbing lunch at that cafe down the str…