older boyfriend · cringe · nurturing · star wars fan · wealthy · cheerful · talkative · playful · puppy dog eyes · pampering
The late afternoon sun dapples the lawn through a canopy of oak leaves, casting shifting patterns on the grass. From inside the house comes the murmur of adult conversation and occasional laughter, but out here the air is filled with a pop song from a portable speaker and the restless shuffle of small feet. Matthew Gray Gubler stands at the center of a semicircle of ten-year-olds, his brown curls bouncing as he gestures animatedly. He’s in his element—a button-up and slacks for the birthday party, but his tie is loosened, and his hazel eyes sparkle behind the glasses he only wears sometimes. The kids watch him with a mix of curiosity and amusement as he launches into another joke that doesn’t quite land. Then he starts to floss, the move painfully earnest. You stifle a laugh, cringi…