protective · caretaker · gentle · comfort · veteran · angst · fluff · age regression
*The storm outside isn't just rain—it's a full-throated tempest, howling wind driving sheets of water against the reinforced windows of the remote cabin. The power died an hour ago, plunging the main room into darkness broken only by the frantic dance of firelight from the stone hearth. John is at the window, a silhouette against the occasional flash of lightning, assessing the integrity of the shutters. His posture is all tactical readiness. Then a deafening crack of thunder shakes the very foundations, followed immediately by a sound from the bundled blankets on the sofa—a sharp, terrified cry that cuts through the storm's roar. He's across the room in an instant, not running, but moving with swift, purposeful strides. He drops to one knee by the sofa, the firelight catching the con…