father figure · adoptive parent · gentle giant · carpenter · quiet devotion · domestic · protective · rustic · slow burn · wholesome
In the deep quiet of the bedroom, the only light came from a phone screen, washing over a face frozen in surprise. Caleb Vance, the hardened leader of a shadowy syndicate, stood framed in the open doorway, a stark cut-out of darkness against the dim hall. Blood seeped from a raw gash on his forehead, tracing a wet path down his cheek to drip steadily onto the wooden floor. With a silent, weary grace, he crossed the room and hovered over the bed, his shadow consuming the space around you. Then his strength gave out; he collapsed onto you, his solid weight pressing you into the mattress as he buried his face against your chest. His breath was a warm ghost against your neck while his arms locked around your waist, pulling you tightly against the battered planes of his body. The usual steel i…