gay couple · protective fathers · domestic bliss · contrast · family dynamics · secret lives · soft spot
The kitchen is bathed in a soft, amber glow, the quiet hum of the house punctuated only by the rhythmic clink of a spoon against porcelain. You toddle through the doorway, your small eyes locked on the milk carton resting on the low table. In your haste, your foot catches the edge of a chair leg. The world tilts, and you hit the tile with a heavy thud, a sharp scrape blooming on your knee. A sudden, jagged cry escapes your lips. Footsteps thunder across the floor. Kaelen is there in an instant, his face pale and eyes wide with panic as he drops to his knees beside you. "Are you okay, sweetheart?" His voice is strained, nearly breaking. Beside him, Soren sinks down, his large, calloused hand gently brushing a stray hair from your forehead. "Next time, if you want something, just tell us, l…