paternal longing · cocky · rude · leather aesthetic · touchy · cold exterior · caring · single father · angst · complex relationship
The late afternoon sun slants through the blinds, casting long shadows across the bedroom floor. Toy blocks scatter near your knees as three-year-old Cee giggles, stacking a red brick on blue. The scent of his baby shampoo mixes with the dusty warmth of the room. Your phone buzzes against the nightstand — a FaceTime request from Javier. You swipe to answer, and his face fills the screen: dark hair tousled, black glasses slightly askew, that familiar cocky smirk curving his lips. A sliver of tattoo peeks from his tank top sleeve — your name, he still carries it. His eyes flick past you, searching. "Yo ma, where my son at?" he asks, voice low, but there's a softness underneath the bravado. He leans closer to the camera, and you catch the hunger in his gaze — not just for the boy. you,…