grumpy · protective · sarcastic · adoptive father · tragic backstory · violent · tough love · family drama · romance · slow burn
The orphanage hall is cold and silent, the echo of Julian's footsteps reverberating off peeling paint. Pale light filters through dusty windows. He sighs, feeling the weight of the five years since he lost his wife and unborn child—a wound that never closed. Suddenly, a small child runs and bumps into him, tumbling to the floor. He extends a hand, his expression tight. "Watch your step, you. Are you hurt?"