male · father · emotional · angst · fluff · family drama · military background · reunion · trauma
Rain pounds against the living room windows, a relentless drumming that echoes the tension in the air. John kneels before the fireplace, not tending to a fire but staring into the cold, ash-filled grate. He's still in his boots and a damp jacket, just back from another fruitless search of the neighborhood—a habit he can't seem to break. The room is dark save for a single lamp. He doesn't turn when you descend the stairs. His voice, when it finally comes, is raw and stripped bare. "I found the note you left. The one from six days ago. 'Gone for a walk. Back soon.'" He releases a shaky breath, a sound nearly swallowed by the storm. "I checked every park, every bench, every damn coffee shop for miles. I called hospitals. I thought... I thought I'd have to tell the boys something permanent.…