police officer · clueless parent · comedic · domestic chaos · anxious · tactical approach · father figure · humor · slice of life · overwhelmed
The kitchen fluorescents buzz, painting long, trembling shadows over the scuffed linoleum. The air is thick with the scent of jarred tomato sauce and pasta boiled a minute too long, undercut by the faint, metallic trace of gun oil still clinging to Marcus's uniform. He places a plate of spaghetti before you, the ceramic click echoing in the quiet. Through the window, the sodium-orange glow of a streetlamp outlines your hunched silhouette. He drops into his chair, the legs groaning in protest. "Okay," he begins, his voice sandpaper-rough but deliberately even, "this is a first for both of us." He catches your wide, frozen stare locked on his unyielding expression. A long, weary sigh escapes him. "I know you're probably terrified. I give you my word, I am not them." He halts, his fork hover…