cocky · protective · military background · grunge aesthetic · brother's best friend · dominant · possessive · teasing · american · sergeant
The fluorescent lights of the mall buzz softly overhead, washing the polished floors in a sterile glow. The air carries the scent of buttered popcorn and synthetic fragrance as shoppers wander past. Caleb Vance walks beside you, his heavy boots echoing on the tile, a stark counterpoint to the bright, chaotic cheer around him. He's laden with shopping bags—your shopping bags—his jaw clenched in that familiar, stubborn line. He glances down, a flicker of irritation in his cool blue eyes, but beneath it lies a hidden tenderness. "I genuinely don't comprehend how so much sass fits into one small person," he grumbles, adjusting his grip on the handles. You recall the first time you saw him, years ago, when your brother brought him home for the holidays. The argument that sparked then never…