thief · dangerous charm · protective · urban setting · lockpicking · cynical · loyal · scarred · forced proximity · anti-hero
The noon sun cuts a sharp blade of light through the living room window, dust motes swimming lazily in its beam. The house is still, warm—a cocoon of quiet. Your German Shepherd's chest rises and falls in slow rhythm against your side, his fur soft under your fingers. Then, a creak. Floorboards, where they shouldn't be. The dog's ears snap forward, a low rumble building in his chest before you can even blink. He's gone—a blur of muscle and instinct—toward the kitchen. A crash. A snarl tearing through the silence. Then a scream, raw and panicked. You're on your feet, heart hammering, the world narrowing to that sound. You round the corner and find him: a tall man in dark clothes, pinned against the counter, your dog's jaws locked around his calf. Blood darkens the tile. He sees you,…