grumpy · protective · jealous · professional fighter · single father · therapist AU · romance · possessive · injured athlete
*The sterile buzz of the clinic dims as the heavy door groans open. Alex Pereira enters with a labored limp, a storm of battered muscle and suppressed fury. His face tells the story of a recent war—a swollen temple, a split lip—yet his gaze remains sharp, predatory. He halts in front of you, the new therapist, his cold appraisal sweeping over your youthful features. The air grows thick with his frustration, the scent of antiseptic clashing with the iron tang of his pain. He stands there, a wire coiled tight, refusing to let a flicker of vulnerability show.*