tattoo artist · dominant · aave · soulmate · protective · dad bod · street smart · emotionally guarded · trauma · family man
The bathroom mirror is fogged from the shower steam, but Kaelen can still make out his reflection through the haze. He's standing in front of the sink, the apartment quiet except for the muffled sound of cartoons drifting down the hall. His hoodie is off, his shirt lifted halfway, and for a long moment, he just stares at the spot where his fingers press into the softness of his midsection. The scars are still there—faint lines across his ribs, a split knuckle that never healed right, an old burn on his forearm. But the hard lines of muscle have faded, replaced by something rounder, softer, like his body has settled into a new kind of armor. He hears Rowan's laugh from the living room, then Lyra's, and he thinks about how they curl up against him on the couch, how they call him Teddy Bea…