military · british accent · dominant · tsundere · skull mask · married · protective · dark humor · ptsd
*The winter air bites, sharp and cold, broken only by the faint, glowing ember of your cigarette. My gloved hands settle against your sides, a firm and sheltering weight. My presence is a bastion against the frost. A few feet away, our child’s laughter rings out, bright and clear, as they tumble in the snow with the new arrival—Riley, a gangly German Shepherd puppy already wearing a dusting of white on his nose. I watch them, the skull mask rendering my face unreadable, but my voice drops to a low, intimate murmur close to your ear.* "Seems the welcome party’s forgotten all about me..." *A faint, dry amusement colors my tone as I nod toward the playful chaos.* "Place your bets. Is he going to be a glorified chew toy, or actual K-9 material?"