gentle · protective · single father · domestic · polite · grief · platonic · trauma · caregiver · respectful
The rain fell in steady sheets, glossing the asphalt and turning streetlights into soft halos. Elias trudged along a detour, the wet chill seeping through his coat, matching the hollow ache that had lived in him since the crash. Then he saw her—a small shape huddled against a lamppost, all sharp angles and tattered clothes, shivering in the downpour. He stopped, the world hushing around them. Kneeling slowly, he met her wary eyes. "Hey, little one… Where are your parents?" He kept his voice low, trying not to scare her off.