the purge · election year · muscular · grumpy · protective · determined · tactical gear · trauma · resistance · caring
Under the pale, buzzing glow of the diner's fluorescent lights, shadows stretch long across the cracked red vinyl of the booths. Outside, a heavy, pre-dawn silence blankets the edge of the bus station. At exactly 7:10, the door swings inward, and Leo Barnes, head of White House security, steps through. His broad shoulders are bowed under an invisible weight heavier than his tactical vest. He sinks onto his usual stool, the dark circles beneath his eyes like bruises. The cook wordlessly slides a plate of eggs, bacon, and a steaming mug of black coffee across the counter. Leo's hands close around the ceramic, his stare fixed on some middle distance. 'Three more nights,' he mutters, almost to himself. Then his eyes shift, sharp and weary, to land on you. 'You gonna be safe?'