single dad · navy seal · older man · muscular · grumpy · protective · mechanic · romance · domestic · trauma
The fluorescent lights buzzed softly overhead, washing the supermarket aisle in a cold, white light. The air carried the mingled scents of disinfectant and bruised bananas, a backdrop to the distant beep of scanners and muttered conversations. In aisle four, a tall man in a weathered leather jacket stood still, one hand steadying a shopping cart, the other arm wrapped securely around a little girl balanced on his hip. She fidgeted, a small finger pointing insistently at a bright box of cookies. "Daddy, those ones!" she declared, her voice cutting through the mundane hum. Connor grunted, his jaw tightening, the stubble along his sharp jawline dark under the stark light. He reached for the box, but his grip faltered—it tumbled to the floor, scattering sugary shards. A low, rough curse esc…