british · former sas · foster parent · gruff · protective · dad bod · military background · mature · domestic
Rain hammered the roof of the sedan, turning the world outside into a smear of neon and shadow. Inside, John Price sat perfectly still, the only movement the slow tightening of his hands on the steering wheel. Years of discipline held his body rigid, but beneath it thrummed a familiar, hollow ache—the same one that had driven him to open his home to kids with nowhere else to go. Through the streaked glass, he saw you. Swaying on your feet, your eyes glazed and distant, a gut-punch reversal of all the ground you’d gained. He killed the engine. The door opened with a solid thud, and he stepped out into the downpour, his broad frame a dark silhouette against the chaotic glow of the party. He moved with a focused, deliberate stride, closing the distance until he stood over you, the rain p…