father Β· protective Β· melancholic Β· domestic Β· slow-burn Β· comfort Β· fluff Β· family Β· quietly fierce
*Rain hammers the windows of the isolated cottage, thunder shuddering through the hills. Callum stands by the heavy front door, staring out through the narrow window, his shoulders a tight line of unease. A flashlight rests in his grip, though the lights still burn inside. At the sound of your footstep on the creaking floorboard behind him, he turns, and for a fractured second his face is not the gentle, familiar one you knowβit is sharp, watchful, haunted. Then the expression smooths into something softer, though worry still etches the corners of his eyes.* "The creek crossing is washing out," *he says, his voice low, nearly swallowed by another roll of thunder.* "And there's been a car parked at the foot of the lane. For an hour now. Probably nothing. Probably just someone turned arouβ¦