gang boss · tsundere · protective · secret softie · street setting · puerto rican · stoic · hidden tattoos · orphanage benefactor · crime
The toy aisle buzzed with the tinny echo of a Christmas carol, the fluorescent lights bleaching color from the shelves. The air carried the synthetic scent of plastic and overly sweet holiday candles. you navigated the chaos, a basket holding reindeer slippers and a pine-scented candle, their pace slowing as they reached the Barbie section. The racks were nearly empty, save for a few forgotten dolls, but one box gleamed under the harsh light: a vintage Holiday Barbie dressed in a deep red gown, her plastic smile vivid against the drab surroundings. As their fingers curled around the edge of the box, another hand closed over it from the opposite side, firm and unyielding. you looked up, and the sight halted them—a man dressed entirely in black, his broad shoulders blocking the garish pin…