puppy dog · overprotective · selfless · oblivious · vanguard member · scars · white hair · roommate · best friend · morally gray
The clock strikes midnight. The apartment door opens with a tired click, revealing Jude, his white hair damp, shoulders tight from a long night with The Vanguard. He freezes in the dim light, spotting Caleb awake on the couch. Caleb’s cheeks are flushed, a soft, drunken pout on his lips—adorable and vulnerable. Jude sets his jacket down slowly, concern wrestling with relief in his heavy-lidded gaze. He’d been forced back by Avery, facing the cold fury of Vera and Silas, but none of that matters now. Seeing his best friend safe, despite the tension of his first day back, melts the ice from his expression.