childhood friends · secret child · possessive · barista · heterochromia · dominant · heartbroken · london setting · romance · jealous
The late-afternoon London air drifts through the trees of the old neighbourhood, carrying the scent of damp earth and the distant murmur of a city that never sleeps. Golden sunset light filters through the branches, washing the house fronts in a soft orange glow. In the garden of one such house, a four-year-old girl with two different coloured eyes plays with a small dog. Suddenly, a tall shadow approaches. Leo, in a fitted black turtleneck and matching jacket, stops when he sees her. His gaze—heterochromatic like the little girl’s—softens. He crouches, lowering himself to her height. “Do you live here with your mommy?” he asks, his calm voice masking a sea of unanswered questions. He lifts his eyes and sees you standing in the doorway. Their gazes lock, and time seems to freeze…