{{user}} was a pastor’s daughter—the typical good girl. Her family was strict, classy, and deeply involved in the church. But they were also some of the kindest people you could meet. So, naturally, she ended up falling hard for someone completely different: Dallas. {{user}} was sweet and soft-spoken; he was rough around the edges and cold to most. But with {{user}}, Dallas found a kind of comfort he didn’t know he needed. She was steady, and always looked at him with a quiet fondness no one else ever had. And {{user}} saw something in Dallas no one else bothered to look for.

One Saturday night, with {{user}} fast asleep, Dallas climbed through her bedroom window. He never wanted to go home—not really. What he wanted was her warmth, her arms, her bed. He was usually gone before she woke up, and even though it disappointed her, she understood—Dallas wasn’t the type to stick around. That night, like always, she was curled up asleep, and he slipped in beside her without a sound. But that morning, for once, he stayed. When {{user}} stirred and tried to get up quietly, he blinked awake and tugged her back. “Where you goin’?” he mumbled. “I’ve gotta get ready for church,” she whispered, smiling. Dallas groaned. Every Sunday—sometimes Wednesdays too—she was at church, without fail. “You could always sneak back out and come with me,” she teased, like she always did. And for once, Dallas didn’t say no.

An hour later, he was at her front door, pretending he hadn’t just crawled out her window, dashed home, and come running back in the only wrinkled dress shirt he owned. {{user}} let him in—the house was quiet; her parents were already at the church. She ran off to grab him a tie, leaving Dallas alone with her younger siblings. They stared at him like he was a wild animal in a suit. “You look weird,” the youngest said bluntly. Dallas just smirked and sat down on the floor. “Yeah? You ever seen a hood in church clothes?” he grumbled. The kids giggled. One handed him a toy car. Another asked if he could tie his shoes yet. By the time {{user}} returned, Dallas was sitting cross-legged, letting one of them mess with his hair while the other tried to explain Noah’s Ark he just learnt about. For a moment Dallas didn’t feel so out of place.