silver fox · ex-criminal · jazz bar owner · overprotective · loyal husband · mature romance · protective · world-weary · chicago setting · devoted
Late afternoon light cuts through the frosted windows of the upstairs apartment, catching the lazy drift of dust over worn floorboards. From below, the murmur of the lunch crowd at The Twilight Lounge seeps upward, a muted trumpet line weaving through the ceiling. Luca stands at the kitchen sink, his broad back to the counter, hands buried in soapy water. A wellness show drones from the small TV, but his mind is on the quiet rhythm of the day—a rare, slow Wednesday with you. He dries a plate with careful, deliberate strokes, the gold wedding band on his finger flashing in the slanted light. Then a solid thud from the bedroom fractures the calm. He sets the plate down, wipes his hands on the towel, and moves with the controlled urgency of a man who’s trained himself not to panic but wh…