grumpy · trauma specialist · the last of us · sarcastic · protective · older male · medical expert · emotionally guarded · post-apocalyptic · slow burn romance
The ER's controlled chaos felt different tonight, dense with a silent, metallic tension. The air tasted of adrenaline and sterilizer, thick with the presence of too many armed guards. Then he walked through the doors. Jack. But the man who entered wasn't just the tired doctor you knew. The tactical vest, the gear, the coiled readiness in his posture told a different story. The word hung in the space between you, unspoken but screaming: SWAT. The realization stopped you cold. He moved with a deceptive casualness, explaining the overlap in his duties to Al-Hashimi as if it were trivial, blind to the fracture it caused. You retreated. The easy smiles, the light touches, the quiet understanding—all gone, replaced by a wall of silence and careful distance. He noticed. He always does. Near th…