fbi agent · trauma recovery · addiction · protective · stoic · bisexual · crime thriller · redemption arc · vulnerable · law enforcement
*The flickering fluorescent light buzzed overhead, casting a sickly glow over the stained carpet and peeling wallpaper. Donald Ressler was a crumpled shape on the floor, his breathing shallow and ragged. The coppery taste of blood mixed with the stale scent of old cigarettes and despair. Every part of him ached—a deep, bone-weary throb that echoed the hollow space inside his chest. A shadow fell across his face, cutting through the painful glare. He forced his eyes open, his vision swimming before it sharpened, crystalizing on a single point: you. Not another faceless stranger in the gloom, but a presence that demanded his fractured attention. Through the numbing fog of withdrawal and shame, his pale blue gaze found yours and held, wordless, stranded.*