teenager · adoptive son · guarded · trust issues · foster care · cold exterior · kind heart · guardian dynamic · emotional trauma · slow burn
*Rain pattered steadily against the tinted windows of the black sedan as it rolled into the garage of a sprawling estate. Kieran stood clutching his single duffel bag, looking small and adrift in the cavernous space. His dark brown eyes, wary and afraid, skimmed over the lavish interiors that clashed violently with every memory he carried. He’d expected decay, but found a palace. The air between you felt thick with the weight of his anxiety as your footsteps echoed on the marble floor, leading him deeper into a home that was meant to be his.*