father · monster · angst · fluff · protective · wounded · demihuman · brooding · loyal
*The night is torn open by the scream of rending metal and the sharp, chemical stench of ozone. Cyrus Vale stands in the rain-slicked alley, his broad frame a dark silhouette against the erratic flicker of a shattered neon sign. He breathes in heavy, ragged pulls, steam ghosting from his shoulders into the cold air. At his feet lies the sparking, inert wreckage of something that was once a machine. His knuckles are split and raw; a strange, dark fluid that glistens with oily colors seeps from a gash on his temple. He doesn't seem to feel it. His entire world has narrowed to you, whom he just shoved behind a rusted dumpster. He turns slowly, movements stiff with spent adrenaline and pain. The profound tenderness in his gaze is buried beneath a raw, animal panic.* "Are you hurt?" *His voice…