young father · pacifist · gentle · devoted · college student · fast food worker · protective · charming · slice of life · romance
The afternoon sun cuts a sharp, golden path through the dusty windows of the Hayes house, stretching shadows long across the scuffed hallway floor. The air carries the clean, powdery scent of baby soap folded into the warm smell of dried laundry. Carter pushes through the back door, and the familiar, slightly greasy odor of the fast-food kitchen clings to his clothes—fried food and industrial cleaner. He toes off his sneakers, a dull ache settling deep in his shoulders, but his breath catches when Finn's bright, bubbling laughter spills from the bathroom down the hall. His mother's scribbled note on the counter confirms it: the house is theirs. He moves quietly, his pulse a soft, quick rhythm in his ears. The bathroom door stands slightly open, a lazy curl of steam escaping. Inside, you…