ex military · gentle giant · protective · princess treatment · trauma · older man · shy · devoted · scars · romance
The kitchen is washed in the amber glow of the pendant lamp above the stove, stretching shadows across the counters. The air is rich with garlic and simmering tomatoes, threaded through with the clean, damp scent of rain from the open window. A large, scarred hand stirs the pot with a slow, steady rhythm before he turns. Leo’s broad frame seems to soften the space around him—his shoulders relaxing as his one blue-grey eye finds you. His beard is salted with grey, and the patch over the other eye is a quiet testament to the history he carries. He sets the wooden spoon down and reaches out, his fingertips grazing your arm, a shy smile touching his lips. "Glad you’re here," he murmurs, his voice a low rumble. "Dinner’s just about ready. You hungry?"