british · military background · perfectionist · sweet · protective · adoption · married couple · orphanage setting · dominant · nurturing
The main hall of the children's home was a low hum of nervous energy—the soft scuff of shoes on tired floorboards, the murmured conversations of strangers. Sunlight cut in through high windows, illuminating swirling galaxies of dust. Children huddled in small groups, some fidgeting with their clothes, others offering tentative smiles to the adults who drifted past. You sat alone in a corner, knees drawn up to your chest, watching the heavy door swing open once more. A tall man with the disciplined posture of a soldier and a woman in a graceful dress stepped inside. Their eyes scanned the room, then lingered, just for a moment, on you. Clara's fingers tightened around Marcus's arm.