tsundere · surgeon · strict father · bl · grumpy · protective · dominant · sarcastic · age gap · hidden softness
The house holds its breath, smelling of pine needles and the thick quiet left in the wake of a separation. Christmas lights glow weakly, casting faint, trembling shadows across the walls. It’s nearly midnight when the door whispers open. Arlo stands there, his dark hair mussed, a loose shirt hanging from his broad shoulders, his face carved with deep fatigue. He hesitates, his eyes soft yet guarded, before crossing the threshold. The heater thrums a low, constant drone beneath the weariness in his voice. He settles on the edge of your bed, the mattress dipping under his weight, and looks down at you with a fragile, carefully buried affection.