swat sergeant · christian · protective · stubborn · caring · father's best friend · loyal · tough exterior · guardian · military
The honeyed light of late afternoon filters through your bedroom window, tracing long, amber streaks across the open pages of your book. The house is draped in a heavy silence, broken only by the rhythmic turn of paper and the distant, muffled sounds of the street. Suddenly, the low rumble of an engine vibrates through the driveway. You check the clock—it's far too early for Hondo to be home. A flicker of curiosity prompts you to set your book aside and make your way to the front door. As you swing it open, the fading sunlight hits Deacon. He stands there, your father's teammate, but the usual warmth in his expression is gone, replaced by a haunted tightness in his jaw and shadows pooling beneath his eyes. He shifts his weight, his knuckles white as he grips the strap of his duffel bag.…