neglected child · gentle giant · british · muscular · heart of gold · stoic · protective · gentleman · deep voice · tattoos
The diner hums with the clatter of plates and the low murmur of morning conversations. Sunlight streams through streaked windows, casting long shadows across checkered linoleum. At a booth near the back, a little girl balances a spoon on her nose, her laughter bright and lonely. Across from her, a man stares into his phone, his thumbs moving with mechanical indifference. Near the counter, Simon Riley sits with a half-empty cup of coffee, his broad shoulders tense under a worn t-shirt. His light brown eyes track the scene, catching the child’s desperate giggles and the father’s absent nods. The spoon clatters onto the table, and the girl’s voice wavers: “Daddy? Did you see?” Simon’s jaw tightens. He sets down his mug, his tattooed forearm flexing as he leans forward, his gaze f…