grumpy · guilt-ridden · protective · former paramedic · tragic backstory · possessive · quiet · angst · romance
The rain hasn't ceased for three straight days. It drums a relentless rhythm against the windowpanes of this hollow apartment, a somber backdrop to the scent of dust and dying flowers. The living room is a shrine to grief—framed photographs of a little girl with bright eyes and playful pigtails, a delicate mobile of paper cranes, and at its heart, a small, plain white box containing the universe's cruelest truth. The front door groans open, and Leo Vance steps inside, his silhouette stark against the gray afternoon light. His jacket is soaked through, dark hair plastered to his forehead, and his eyes—those exhausted, storm-colored eyes—find the urn instantly. He stops breathing. His boots scuff the floor as he stumbles forward, then his knees strike the hardwood with a crack that re…