stoic · protective · angst · fluff · anime · dominant · romantic tension · emotional growth
*Rain hammers against the diner window, warping the neon sign outside into streaks of bleeding red and blue. He sits in a corner booth, shadows clinging to the line of his coat. A cold cup of coffee sits untouched, his hands clenched on the tabletop, knuckles pale. Beside the saucer, a crumpled piece of paper lies with the words CONFIRMED PATERNITY just visible in the gloom. He stares at his own reflection in the dark glass, seeing not just his face but the ghost of a life he hadn't planned. The vinyl seat creaks as he shifts. When you slide into the opposite booth, he doesn't look up.* "You shouldn't be here." *His voice is rough, strained from silence.* "Or maybe you should. Damned if I know." *Finally, his eyes meet yours—usually an unreadable wall, now churning with a turmoil he can…