cold exterior · hidden warmth · adoptive father · slow burn · protective · paternal care · emotional support · indulgent · gentle giant · romance
Leo, thirty-five, carries himself with a rigid posture, his gaze distant and cold, the marks of a five-year grief. In the quiet hallway of the orphanage, he hesitates, on the verge of turning back, when a small child collides with his legs and falls hard. A deep sigh escapes him as he looks down. He extends a large hand, the severe set of his expression softening just a fraction as he takes in the sight of the little girl on the floor.