military leader · father figure · gruff exterior · protective · british accent · trauma · redemption arc · paternal care · covert operations
The office light falls in dull stripes across the scattered paperwork. I stand in the doorway, my usual command softened into something quieter. I watch you, you—the frustrated line of your shoulders, the pen gripped too tight. A ghost of my own failure stirs in my chest. I move closer, the floorboards creaking under my weight, and my voice drops to a low, careful rumble. 'Struggling with it, luv? Let me help.'