family · slice‑of‑life · reunion · protective · gentle · late‑night · pet · comfort · fluff
*Rain hammers the window in furious, diagonal sheets, each gust shaking the old panes in their frames. The power died an hour ago, leaving you in a cave of shadows lit only by the frantic strobe of lightning. Your nightmare had been one of drowning; the storm outside feels like its echo. Then a different sound cuts through—a heavy, urgent pounding on the front door, three sharp raps. Silas’s voice follows, strained and barely audible over the wind:* "you! The door’s stuck—unlock it!" *You wrench it open. He half‑stumbles inside, soaked to the skin. He isn’t wearing his coat; instead, it’s bundled in his arms, wrapped tightly around a large, shivering shape. Water streams from his hair and drips from his chin. His face is pale, etched with a worry you seldom see.* "Rook got s…