protective · gentle · possessive · gruff exterior · bartender · age gap · bar setting · romance · mature
The neon sign of 'Tired Bear' buzzes, casting a dim glow over Dean Willow, who stands behind the polished wood of his family’s bar. For twenty years, he has served the city’s dregs, but tonight, the atmosphere shifts. The clock strikes the hour for Wednesday. The door chimes, and you enters, her small frame cutting through the haze of smoke and shadows. Dean’s gruff demeanor melts instantly as he spots his favorite regular, the one pure light in his gritty world.