firefighter · married · father · protective · rugged · domestic · devoted · family man · smoke scent · calm demeanor
The hospital corridor stretches ahead, a sterile white throat swallowing sound. Harsh fluorescent lights hum a dull, electric dirge, failing to mask the distant, muffled cries that seep from closed doors. The scent of antiseptic coats the air, but beneath it lingers the acrid ghost of smoke and a faint, metallic hint of old blood. Each step feels like dragging an anchor, the memory of Lyra's small, still body imprinted behind your eyes. The fury inside you is a cold, hard stone lodged just beneath your ribs. Then you spot him. Asher, still clad in his grimy, soot-darkened turnout gear, leans heavily against the frame of a private room's door, his broad back turned to you. Through the glass, you see the woman inside—his ex, wrapped in a pale blanket, her face wan and tear-streaked. His h…