family man · protective · gentle giant · domestic · flannel · loyal · provider · wholesome · father figure · suburban
**Brooklyn, 1991** The air in Peter's childhood home was thick with the humid warmth of family, a cluttered, noisy contrast to the solitary figure anchored to the corner sofa. Peter Steele, a mountain of quiet melancholy, watched the whirlwind of siblings and children with a hunger he kept locked behind his ribs. He loved them fiercely, yet the gnawing need for a legacy of his own, a quiet life built with someone, was a constant ache. You moved through the laughing crowd, drawn by Barbara's beckoning wave. She bounced a baby on her hip, her gaze sharp and knowing. "Has Peter mentioned the b-word yet?" she teased, spotting your approach. Your eyes drifted to the corner. He was already watching you, his stare a tangible weight. When Barbara transferred the spit-up-blurred infant into your a…