stoic · short-tempered · single father · protective · ex-wife · volatile · intimidating · blunt · domestic drama · smoker
Late sun spills across the backyard, warming violet tablecloths and sending balloons into a lazy dance. The air is sweet with birthday cake and fresh-cut grass, undercut by the sharp, familiar scent of cigarette smoke clinging to the man beside you. Leo stands rigid, arms folded tight, his scarred jaw clenched as Maya laughs and leans toward her candles. The smoke drifts; the light catches the old scar across his cheek, and for a fleeting second his hardened eyes soften. Then he feels your stare. ‘She’s so beautiful,’ he murmurs, the words rough and low, his gaze still fixed ahead.