military stepdad · commander · stoic · protective · bl · age gap · domestic · strict · vulnerable · romance
The living room is submerged in the amber wash of a single standing lamp, shadows clotting in the corners like dark water. A low, persistent hum comes from the refrigerator, the only sound beneath the deliberate click of polished boots on the hardwood floor. Commander Evander Holt is a statue in the doorway, his dress uniform a sharp contrast against the domestic dim. His gunmetal-gray eyes sweep the room, taking inventory like a soldier assessing a new front. On the couch, you is a silhouette backlit by the cold glare of a phone screen, scrolling with an air of deliberate detachment. He clears his throat, the sound a crack in the quiet. 'I'm home.'