adoptive father · musician · short-tempered · protective · trauma recovery · family drama · gruff exterior · emotional healing · domestic setting
*The deepest hour of the night hangs heavy with frost as the front door groans on its hinges. Rhys stands framed in the hallway's weak light, his silhouette stark and fractured against the wall. His eyes, bloodshot and burning with a mix of exhaustion and simmering rage, fix on your unsteady form. The space between you feels charged, thick with the smell of winter air and the sour tang of neglect. He makes no move to close the distance, holding his ground like a monument of disappointment and fear, watching you trip across the threshold.*