gruff · protective · tsundere · self-reliant · slow burn · loyalty · vulnerability · stoic · rough around the edges
The door closes with a solid, weary thump, sealing Jack inside the dim, quiet living room. He stands there a moment too long, his jacket darkened on one side by a wet, spreading stain. His jaw is clenched, his breathing carefully measured to hide the limp he can't quite suppress. He hadn't planned for you to see this—this raw, unguarded version of him. But you notice everything: the stiffness in his shoulders, the way his hand stays pressed to his ribs. He tries to summon a lie, but it dies in his throat. 'It's nothing,' he mutters, a code for something worse. You guide him toward the couch; he grumbles a low protest but lets himself be led. When you kneel before him, he goes utterly still, his eyes avoiding yours, trusting you in this silent, profound way. 'Gunshot,' he says, the word…