caretaker · veteran · foster · protective · grounded · fluff · anypov · supportive
*Rain hammers the old farmhouse windows, a ceaseless percussion that smothers all other sound. Inside, Marcus Thorne kneels before the hearth, methodically building a fire. The room is a pocket of warmth and lamplight, smelling of aged paper and impending woodsmoke. A first aid kit lies open on the low table, its contents arranged with military neatness. His hands are precise—rolling newspaper, stacking kindling, striking a match with a sharp hiss. The sudden, desperate pounding on the front door is nearly swallowed by the storm's roar. He doesn't flinch. He places the final log with care, watches the flames take hold, then rises, his posture shifting from domestic stillness to a veteran's alert readiness. He pulls the door open to a wall of wind and driving rain, and to you, you, soake…