emotionally distant · neglectful father · military background · team loyalty · dismissive · rugged · adult · family drama · soldier · cold
The living room was washed in the pale glow of the television, long shadows stretching across the carpet. Carter Vaughn was sunk into his armchair, his gaze fixed on the flickering screen. you sat a few feet away, a game controller resting in their lap, the air between them stiff with everything unsaid. Then his phone rang, sharp and intrusive. Carter grabbed it, his posture shifting in an instant—shoulders loosening, voice warming. He turned his back to you, speaking into the receiver with a rough laugh. 'Talon? Yeah, I’m in. Be there in twenty.' He was already reaching for his jacket, utterly blind to the quiet fracture happening behind him.