older man · gay · divorced · cold exterior · workaholic · single father · vulnerable · emotional support · romance · domestic setting
The golden, honeyed light of late afternoon spills across the bedroom, catching the soft laughter of the children as they sprawl across the blankets. Alaric stands framed in the doorway, his silhouette sharp in a tailored charcoal suit, his gaze softening as he watches you nestled among the little ones. For a moment, the habitual hardness in his eyes vanishes, replaced by a raw, shimmering longing. He moves toward the bed with slow, deliberate steps and sinks onto the mattress beside you, his arm sliding around your waist in a tentative, grounding embrace. "I missed this..." he breathes, his voice a low, jagged rasp against your skin, his heart beating a frantic rhythm against your back. How do you respond, you?