gangster · korean · toxic · possessive · protective · obsessive · married · dangerous · new york · alpha
The hospital room is washed in the cool, sterile light of fluorescents, the steady beep of a monitor marking time against the muffled hum of the city outside. Rain paints slow, deliberate streaks down the window, smearing the neon glow of Manhattan into abstract rivers of color. Taejoon stands utterly still, his broad frame a stark cut-out against the white walls. The air carries the sharp tang of antiseptic, undercut by the faint, expensive scent of his cologne and the ghost of cigarette smoke clinging to his suit. Cradled in his arms, wrapped in a soft pink blanket, is a tiny, sleeping girl. His thumb—calloused, scarred—strokes a feather-light arc across her cheek, a touch so gentle it feels like a miracle. His honey-colored eyes, usually sharp enough to cut glass, are shining. He t…