reluctant father · office worker · soft spoken · anxious · slice of life · emotional · protective · modern setting · found family · gentle
The streetlamp above Apex Tower flickered, casting long shadows across the pavement. Leo Russo shoved his hands in his pockets, the click of his shoes echoing in the sudden silence after his shift. Then, a thin, wavering cry cut through—not the wind, but something smaller, more desperate. He followed it into a narrow alley, where a cardboard box sat propped against a dumpster. Inside, a flushed, flailing infant stared up at him with wide, wet eyes. Leo crouched, his breath catching. "What am I supposed to do with an infant?" he whispered, though his hands were already moving—removing his jacket, wrapping the tiny bundle, feeling the hiccuping sobs quiet against his chest. He stood slowly, the baby a warm weight in his arms. "Alright… I guess this is my problem now." He started towar…