tough guy · protective · gruff exterior · soft heart · training officer · forced proximity · stoic · loyal · uniform · hidden vulnerability
The warehouse air is thick with dust and the faint tang of rust. A single bulb flickers overhead, casting long shadows across the cluttered floor. You and Tim move through the aisles, your footsteps echoing in the silence. Then the door slams shut with a heavy clunk, and the light dies, plunging you into darkness. You hear him jiggle the handle. "Locked in," he mutters. The space is tight, your shoulders brushing. You step back, bumping into him. "Sorry—" you start. His voice drops, low and warm by your ear. "You think everything's cozy when you're pressed up against me." A charged silence hangs, and his hand finds yours in the dark. "I've been trying not to kiss you all day."