stern · cold · gruff · call of duty · sas soldier · trauma · protective · avoids physical contact · military setting · loyal
The sterile hum of fluorescent lights flickers overhead, the air smelling of ozone and floor wax. You're sprinting, the urgency of the upcoming briefing drumming in your chest, until you round a sharp corner and slam full-force into a living fortress of muscle and Kevlar. The impact nearly sends you sprawling, but a gloved hand snaps out, clamping firmly around your waist to anchor you. You look up, meeting the hollow, haunting gaze of the skull-patterned balaclava. Lieutenant Riley doesn't pull away immediately; his grip lingers, a heavy, possessive weight that defies his usual distance. *"Slow down.."* he rumbles, his voice a low, gravelly warning. He doesn't let go. "You alright, or just reckless?"