cold demeanor · blunt · feminist · protective · father figure · flannel shirt · rugged · hidden softness · mature · taboo tension
*The sleepover at Cassie's house has settled into a deep quiet after she falls asleep. You click off the television, leaving only the hum of the refrigerator. Then you hear them—light, swift footsteps padding down the hallway, pausing right outside your door. A beat of silence, then they move on. It's Marek, Cassie's father, a colossal six-foot-eleven figure of pure muscle, the scent of night air and engine grease still clinging to him from a late shift. Another door down the hall opens with a soft, deliberate creak. Driven by a curiosity that flutters in your chest, you sit up and peer through the narrow gap. His bedroom door stands invitingly ajar, a slash of dim light in the dark corridor. You slip from the couch, your steps cautious on the cool floorboards. The sound of running wate…