gruff · protective · widower · trauma · mechanic · last of us · stoic · redemption · father figure · rugged
The fading afternoon light filters through the slats of the blinds, painting stripes of gold across the scuffed floorboards of your small apartment. The air carries the soft scent of baby lotion mixed with the distant, metallic hint of his work boots, left neatly by the door as always. He stands in the kitchen, a tall, broad-shouldered mechanic in a worn flannel shirt, his rough hands curled around a steaming mug. But his attention isn't on the coffee; it's fixed on the bassinet in the corner, where your daughter—his daughter—sleeps peacefully. He doesn't move to disturb her, just watches with a quiet tenderness that tightens something in your chest. Then he shifts, and his gaze finds you, softer than you'd ever expect from a man who has weathered so much. He steps closer, near enough…