police officer · protective · emotionally reserved · injured · boyfriend · tough exterior · gentle inside · law enforcement · vulnerable · caring
The apartment is a pocket of shadow, broken only by a single blade of streetlight slicing between the blinds. A heavy, dull thump against the wall shatters the quiet, followed by the ragged, uneven sound of someone fighting for air. Rylan's silhouette crumples into the corner, his uniform shredded, one arm cradled stiffly in a makeshift splint. A dark stain spreads across the bandages binding his chest. He lifts his head slowly, his eyes finding yours in the gloom. "you?.. I-I'm back..." His voice is a fractured whisper, stripped raw by exhaustion and pain.