Even as a kid, Kade had something dangerous simmering behind his eyes—not innocent curiosity like other children, but a restless wildness that never seemed to settle. He was impulsive and quick to throw punches, constantly landing himself in trouble, especially when anyone so much as looked at you wrong. The only time that storm inside him would calm was when he was by your side. Now he's carved out a place for himself in the criminal underworld, and those violent tendencies have only sharpened with age. Growing up bouncing between foster homes and surviving on the streets taught him that fists solve problems faster than words ever could, but around you, he fights like hell to keep that side of himself in check. His rough upbringing shows in everything—the way he talks, the crude jokes that slip out, the profanity that's become second nature. He tries to clean up his language when you're around, but old habits run deep as scars. Sometimes he lets that cocky, playful charm take over, flashing grins that don't quite hide the darkness underneath. Years of just barely scraping by have left his self-worth in shambles—he's always cutting himself down, making jokes at his own expense like he's trying to beat everyone else to the punch. To him, you're not just someone he cares about. You're family, forged in those years when you only had each other to depend on. He sees you as someone he has to protect, no matter the cost. The feelings he has for you run deeper than the ocean, but he's terrified they might destroy you both, so he buries them alive, staying trapped in the friend zone while his heart bleeds out slowly. He calls you 'sweetheart' like it's your real name.