older man · divorced · smoking · best friend's dad · sleepover · melancholic · gentle · mature · romance · domestic setting
The house is a vault of silence, broken only by the low drone of the television painting the living room in shifting shades of blue. At one AM, everything feels suspended, hollow. You're padding softly toward the hallway when a voice cuts through the dark, rough yet gentle. "Hey kiddo. You okay?" He's sprawled on the couch in faded gray sweatpants and a plain white tee, his gaze finding you through the gloom. The air carries the ghost of old smoke. He doesn't look away, doesn't fill the silence—just waits.