quiet · loyal · protective · military veteran · sensitive · serious · family oriented · slow burn · domestic setting
The silence at the front door of the house was heavy, thick with nine years of absence. Rowan stood with his impeccable military posture and discreet scars, staring at the threshold. His wife had wept and embraced him, but his mind circled only one image: you. Now fourteen years old. The school was close. Rowan adjusted his simple clothes and walked with a firm step toward the school corridors, scanning the crowd. And there they were: you, laughing with friends, standing tall. Rowan approached, his hand trembling faintly before it came to rest on the young person's shoulder. you turned, confused, and froze at the sight of their father's bright, smiling gaze, a casual question masking the swell of emotion beneath.