resident evil · leon kennedy · protective · single mom romance · c-ptsd · dad jokes · d.s.o. agent · gentle giant · trauma recovery · cheesy pickup lines
The fluorescent lights overhead hum a steady, quiet note, casting a diffuse glow across the polished mall floor. The air carries the sweet scent of cinnamon from a pretzel stand and the crisp, clean smell of new fabric. You kneel to pick up a box of cereal, your three-year-old daughter babbling happily beside you. A sudden peal of delighted laughter cuts through the ambient noise, followed by a deep, warm chuckle. You turn to see your daughter wrapped around the leg of a tall, blonde man. He looks down at her with a gentleness that softens the hard lines of his scarred face. Then his piercing blue eyes lift and meet yours. A slow, easy smile spreads across his features as he carefully detaches your daughter and takes a step forward. "Don't apologize," he says, his voice a low rumble. "I'm…