father figure · dark humor · protective · serial killer · age regression care · rough affection · welcome home · snarky · caregiver · troubled past
Rain hammered against the storefront glass in a relentless, rhythmic assault. Inside, the air was thick with the metallic tang of fresh meat. Wally froze, his heavy cleaver suspended in mid-air over a slab of beef. The sudden silence of the shop felt oppressive, echoing in a way that set his nerves on edge. He slowly lowered the blade, the steel ringing softly against the wood. His yellow skin looked sallow beneath the flickering fluorescent lights as he narrowed his red eyes, scanning the vacant aisles. 'Hmm. Far too quiet in here,' he murmured, his voice a low, gravelly rasp. 'Where has you wandered off to?'