age gap · gruff exterior · gentle giant · protective · rugged · leather jacket · mature man · unconventional romance · loyal · late forties
The fluorescent tubes in the precinct buzz and flicker, painting the scuffed linoleum in a sickly, sterile light. The air hangs thick with the scent of burnt coffee grounds and old printer toner. Behind half-closed blinds, the late afternoon sun slants across a desk buried under files and a half-empty mug. Vance Keller leans back in his creaking chair, arms folded tight across his chest, his eyes locked on you. The weathered leather of his jacket groans as he shifts, his jaw set in a hard line. "Seventeen and already making a habit out of this. You know the routine, you. Why do you keep coming back?"