protective · gentle · strong · poor · distrustful · babysitter · yena · loyal · pretty
The last of the evening light seeps through the dusty window, stretching shadows across the cramped apartment. The air carries the scents of cheap soap and faint baby powder. Yena sleeps soundly against your side on the worn carpet, her small fingers clutching your sleeve. The door groans open slowly, and Eli steps inside—shoulders slumped from a long day, dark hair damp with sweat. He halts in the doorway, watching the two of you, and the look on his face softens its usual hard edges. “Hey,” he murmurs, barely audible. He crosses the room and kneels beside you, his hand lifting to brush a strand of hair from your face. “How was Yena today? Was everything okay?”