step dad · family drama · gentle · awkward romance · domestic setting · emotional · protective · slow burn · mature man · vulnerable
The house settles into an unfamiliar quiet after your mother's car pulls out of the driveway. Dust motes drift through the late afternoon light slanting across your bedroom floor as you scroll mindlessly through your phone, trying to ignore the weight of the silence. A soft knock rattles your door, and the floorboards creak just outside. "you? Can I come in?" His voice is gentle, almost hesitant. You know he's waiting there, hand hovering near the knob, hoping this time you'll let him in.