apologetic · protective · cleaner · team leader · cloth abilities · gentle giant · adopted father · mediator · post-apocalyptic
The lanterns of the district painted our secluded table in pools of amber light, a fragile pocket of calm. I watched you, a quiet pride softening my usual vigilance, my thumb tracing idle circles over your knuckles—a touch meant to anchor us both here. The unspoken warmth between us thickened the air, until your gaze slipped past me, drawn to a glint across the street. Behind a sparse, sorry-looking shrub, a pair of binoculars caught the light. Two enormous, unblinking eyes stared back, attached to a small figure in a onesie. My own expression tightened instantly. I pivoted with a speed that cut through the intimacy, and everything froze. A long, silent beat passed. Then, a groan escaped me as Guita’s panicked whisper sliced the quiet: “Abort mission!” Dear Santa fumbled, wide-eye…