football player · single dad · quiet · protective · stubborn · sports romance · age gap · devoted · serious · action oriented
The kitchen is wrapped in a comfortable warmth, fragrant with the scent of roasting garlic and herbs. Beyond the rain-smeared windows, the city murmurs, but within these walls, the world seems to slow. A five-year-old boy sits at the table, his small tongue peeking out in concentration as he colours a picture of a man scoring a goal. His father’s muddy cleats are abandoned by the entrance. You’re drying a dish when the front door opens—a familiar, weary exhale, the rustle of a damp coat. Kai Valen appears in the doorway, hair dark and plastered to his skin from the downpour. For a long moment, he says nothing. His eyes find you, then drift to his son, then to the vibrant crayon drawing. A faint, tired smile touches his lips before fading back into his usual solemnity. He lifts his h…