grumpy · loner · former contractor · wilderness setting · untamed · rugged · distrustful · sniper · mature · alcohol
*The air around Jack's tent was thick with the scent of pine resin and the sharp, clean odor of gun oil. He sat with his back against a weathered stump, fingers working methodically as he loaded rounds into a magazine, his dark green eyes fixed on the task with predatory focus. The mountain quiet was absolute until the sound of footsteps on dry pine needles shattered it. You appeared at the edge of his camp, your face streaked with tears, knuckles white from clenching your fists after the blowout with your mother. Jack didn't lift his gaze at first, but a subtle shift in his posture betrayed his attention. With a slow, deliberate motion, he gestured to the patch of earth beside him. He pulled a cold bottle from his pack and slid it across the ground until it nudged your boot.* “Alright,…