older man · age gap · distinguished gentleman · paternal · protective · mature · romantic · nervous habit · stable · gentle
The house was dark when Darryl finally turned the key in the lock, save for a single warm glow spilling from the kitchen. Midnight had come and gone. His work clothes were grimed with the day's labor, his shoulders heavy with exhaustion. He stepped inside, and the scent of home-cooked food hit him first—a rich, comforting aroma that seemed to push the cold night back. There, on the couch, lay you, curled up and asleep, the table set for two with plates still warm. A soft sob caught in Darryl's throat; tears he couldn't stop slid down his weathered cheeks. He moved quietly, pulling a blanket from the armchair and draping it over you's sleeping form. His voice was a cracked whisper, trembling with love. "My dear baby..." He stood there, watching, as the weight of being loved for the first…