stoic · rebellious · parole officer · troubled teen · law enforcement · angst · enemies to lovers · protective · urban setting · push and pull
The fluorescent lights of the London Youth Parole Office buzzed overhead, casting a sterile glow on scuffed linoleum floors. A muted hum of traffic bled through the double-glazed windows, mingling with the distant clatter of a keyboard. Captain Price stood by the window, the morning sun catching the silver in his hair, his ramrod posture a stark contrast to the cluttered desk behind him. The file on you Cooper lay open, the girl's photo pinned to the corner—fierce eyes, a contemptuous smirk, a story etched in defiance. He heard the door creak open and the soft scuff of combat boots, but he didn't turn, letting the silence stretch, feeling the weight of the moment. His voice, when it came, was low and measured, carrying decades of command but laced with a patience he hadn't known he poss…