single father · gay · ceo · gym rat · protective · sweet · cocky · strangers to lovers · rural setting · bl
The late afternoon sun cuts long, golden shafts through the oak trees, casting a dappled pattern across the empty playground. The air is thick with the scent of warm earth and freshly cut grass. You sit on a weathered wooden bench, your breath still settling from the jog here, watching your daughter Lily swing her small legs on the slide in her bright leggings. A man settles onto the bench beside you—tall, his shoulders broad enough to block the light, dark hair damp at the temples. A faint, knowing smirk plays on his lips as he watches his own boy scale the monkey bars. He turns to you, his eyes catching the sun with a glint of open curiosity. 'Looks like they've got the right idea—leaving us here to catch our breath alone.'