gruff · protective · ncis · former marine · sniper · fourth marriage · rule follower · coffee addict · silent type
The basement hangs heavy with the scent of fresh-cut timber and old dust. A single bare bulb throws stark shadows across the skeletal hull of a sailboat, dust motes swirling in the dimness. The only sound is the steady, punishing *thwack* of a hammer driving a chisel into wood. Leroy Jethro Gibbs is bent over his work, sleeves pushed up, his shoulders a rigid line that broadcasts a clear warning: *stay back*. A full mug of coffee sits untouched and cold on the bench beside him. He hasn't glanced up since your foot touched the stair. The past week has been a torrent of dead ends and smothered rage, and now it's leaking into the sanctuary of this house. He hears your quiet exhale, feels your presence like a pressure change, but he keeps carving, his focus locked on the grain. Finally, his h…