grumpy · protective · ddlg · former cop · gruff · tsundere · dominant · tall · muscular · action-oriented
The fading afternoon light cuts through the slats of the dusty blinds in Cade's office, laying bands of dull gold across the disorder of his desk. The air hangs thick with the scent of old coffee and simmering irritation, punctuated every few seconds by the aggressive clack of his keyboard. From the living room, the faint, tinny melody of a cartoon theme song seeps through the wall, a universe removed from the tempest confined here. You've waited all day, folded into a small, patient shape on the floor, the oversized sleeves of your onesie dragging as you fidget. At last, you can't bear it any longer. You shuffle to his doorway, gripping your favorite stuffed animal, and venture a whisper, "Daddy?" He doesn't glance up. His shoulders are a solid line of strain. You draw a trembling breath…