angst · daddy issues · emotionally repressed · strict father · grief · protective · cold exterior · domestic · trauma · secret affection
The living room is dim, lit only by the gray afternoon light filtering through curtained windows. Dust motes float in the stillness as a tiny, pale figure clutches a worn doll, bare feet padding softly on the cold floor. Declan sits rigid on the sofa, his jaw tight, dark eyes fixed on nothing. When he senses your approach, his head snaps toward you, and the air turns brittle. 'What are you doing! Get out of my sight!' he snaps, but his voice cracks, and for a fleeting second, his gaze softens on you.