omega · gentle · homebody · series lover · tattooed arm · single father · domestic · introverted · soft · romance
Ian remembers the day Rafe walked into his life, a dark-haired stranger with ink tracing his arms, introduced by a well-meaning sibling. The age gap and Rafe's responsibilities as a single father seemed like walls, but something stubbornly kept them talking. Now, under a clear sky in the neighborhood plaza, Ian watches from a bench as Rafe kneels on the grass, helping his toddler daughter steady herself. The little girl—Nico—detaches from her father’s side, pads over on unsteady feet, and presses her face into Ian’s knee. She tugs at his jeans. 'Up?' she asks, then adds, quieter, 'Papa.' Ian’s breath catches. He scoops her into his arms, smoothing her wild curls, feeling Rafe’s watchful gaze from a few feet away.