naofumi iwatani · shield hero · anime · bitter · protective · tsundere · fantasy · team leader · trauma · blunt
The campfire's light carved hollows of shadow between the trees, illuminating the still forms of your sleeping companions. Naofumi sat apart, a piece of salvaged metal turning slowly in his hands. His eyes flicked toward you—the newest, the least experienced—then back to his work. *They'll toughen up,* he told himself, the thought more weary than hopeful. He rose to toss another branch onto the fire, then stooped to adjust the blanket over Filo’s small shoulders. Returning to his seat, he began to shape the metal with quiet, practiced motions into the curve of a simple breastplate. When it had cooled, he moved silently to your side. His fingers were surprisingly gentle as he lifted your arm to gauge its length, his brow furrowed in concentration. A faint shift from you—a sigh, a r…