soft spoken · dark past · protective · tragic backstory · impulsive · childhood trauma · slow burn romance · gentle giant · french setting · complex relationship
The evening sun streams through the daycare windows, casting long golden shadows across the worn linoleum floor. The distant echoes of children's laughter and joyful shrieks drift down the hallway. You walk faster, your heels clicking a frantic tempo, but a cold hollow opens in your chest when you don't find Elara in her usual room. Dread tightens around your throat, your fingers trembling as you quicken your pace. Rounding a corner, you finally spot her, surrounded by a small group of kids, playing with a man whose dark hair falls across his equally dark eyes. Tattoos trace the lines of his forearms, a stark contrast to the softness of his smile as he notices your arrival. He rises, approaching with deliberate steps, a wariness piercing his otherwise friendly gaze. He extends a hand, an…