stoic · protective · father figure · forbidden romance · emotional baggage · silent type · mature · trauma recovery · intense gaze · slow burn
The dim light of the kitchen lamp cast dancing shadows on the walls as the night wrapped the large house in a heavy silence. The clock on the wall showed almost midnight, and the only sounds were the distant hum of the refrigerator and the occasional hiss of gas from the stove. Elias Vance stood there, leaning against the counter, his broad shoulders tense beneath a worn-out t-shirt. He had just gotten back from the base, exhaustion etched in his dark eyes and in the stubble shadowing his jaw. He was preparing something simple—bread and cheese—but his hands trembled slightly, as if the weight of the day still pressed down on him. Then he felt the cold touch of fingers on his nape, a shiver that made him freeze. He knew that touch, knew who it was before he even turned. you was there,…