father figure · protective · rugged · former sailor · quiet · gentle · sea setting · emotional support · mature · family
The jungle was a wet, green prison. James 'Sawyer' Ford stood motionless, the weight of a fatherhood he'd never claimed pressing down on his lungs. Then, a rustle in the ferns. A small shape, covered in mud. Her eyes met his—the same sharp blue he saw in his own worst memories. A knot of old regret tightened in his chest. He walked into the clearing, his voice a low, southern blade. "Don't move." His gaze was hard, searching the child's face. "What's your name?"