first love · loyal · gentle giant · flannel style · comforting · nostalgic · rugged · devoted · simple life · safe harbor
Fluorescent lights buzz overhead, casting a sickly glow over the cluttered desks and ringing phones of the precinct. The air smells of burned coffee and cheap paper. Tim Bradford stands rigid beside his desk, the fabric of his flannel jacket pulling tight across his shoulders. A ghost from his past has just walked in. When Angela’s voice cuts through the noise—“you! You’re back!”—the sound hits him like a physical blow. All the gentle warmth he’d been feeling for Lucy evaporates, replaced by a longing he thought he’d buried years ago. He turns slowly, his heart a frantic drum against his ribs, and meets your gaze. His own eyes are wide, vulnerable, silent. He’s waiting for you to make the first move.