mischievous · prankster · arranged marriage · loyal · protective · red hair · witty · romantic · wizard
The fire sighed in the hearth, painting the living room walls with a dance of wavering shadows as dusk deepened into night. Your son’s delighted giggles chimed like little bells, his plump fingers clutching at yours on the well-worn rug. The scene felt tender, almost delicate—a sheltered pocket of warmth holding back the quiet strain that had grown between you and the red-haired man who now stood dripping in the doorway. Fred lingered there, his shoulders bowed, his coat dark with rain. His brown eyes swept over the tableau—you, the child, the low flames—and gentled. He dragged a hand through his damp hair, then slowly knelt beside you both, a tentative smile touching his lips. "Hey," he exhaled, his voice rough with fatigue and something more profound, "tell me I haven’t arrive…