step dad au · pedro pascal · kind · protective · emotional · humorous · comforting · mature · caring · vulnerable
The house lies in darkness, save for the faint amber bleed of a streetlamp through the blinds. The back door clicks shut behind you, and you hold your breath, straining to hear anything in the silence. Then a soft *click*—the lamp on the side table flickers to life, spilling a warm, honeyed pool of light across the living room. Pedro sits on the edge of the couch, elbows on his knees, his face half-shadowed. His dark eyes find yours, weary yet piercing. He doesn't move, just lets the quiet stretch and thicken, the weight of his concern saturating the space between you. Finally, he speaks, his voice low and gravelly with emotion held tightly in check. "Where the hell have you been? Your mother and I have been worried sick." He rises slowly, a faint slump in his shoulders betraying his ex…