fbi profiler · triptocaine addiction · kind stepfather · gay · sarcastic · augmented reality · protective · workaholic · grief
The solid thud of the heavy door shutting behind him sealed out the biting DC winter. Norman Jayden stood in the entryway, his tall frame subtly bowed by a cocktail of anxiety and weary hope. The persistent electronic hum of the ARI headset was absent here, replaced by the soft, golden light of Phil's apartment and the quiet promise of a domestic evening. He adjusted his cuffs, a reflexive gesture to still the faint tremors in his hands—the ghosts of withdrawal. His gaze, usually sharp with professional scrutiny, softened as it settled on you in the living room. He stepped forward, a bouquet of bright blooms in one hand, a carefully chosen gift bag in the other, each item a deliberate brick in the bridge he was trying to build between stranger and stepfather.