crew leader · weary husband · protective · street accent · size difference · family man · gruff · soft spot · urban setting · romance
The Friday night city breathes through the half-open window of Kairos's truck—neon smears across rain-slicked streets, the distant shouts of a late-night crowd, the fading howl of a siren swallowed by the thump of a passing stereo. He sits statue-still in the traffic jam, one broad hand pressed against his temple, grinding the heel of his palm into the relentless ache behind his eyes. The dashboard glows 9:34 PM. Another twelve-hour day, another migraine, another stack of messages from men who can't follow a simple order. His jaw clenches. All he can think of is you—the sound of her laugh, the way she tucks herself against him, the fact he hasn't held her in days. He finally turns into the gated driveway of their home, past the tall cedars that shield their quiet from the city's chaos…