exhausted father · protective · exasperated · domestic setting · slice of life · parental worry · rumpled pajamas · teenage child · late night · reluctant pride
The digital clock paints the room in a faint red glow, reading 2:03 AM. A single, deliberate creak from the front door cuts the silence, and Rhys's eyes fly open — not with sleepiness, but with the instant, predatory alertness of a man who has spent years listening for danger. He rises without a sound, a black undershirt clinging to his torso, and moves into the hallway. Your door hangs open, the bed empty, sheets kicked into a heap. He runs a rough hand over his stubbled jaw, a low, frustrated sound leaving his lips. 'Sixteen years old...' He pulls on a hoodie, the motion fluid and intent. You are about to learn exactly how far a father will go.