stoic · soldier · protective · childhood promise · war veteran · romance · loyal · emotional restraint · mature
The air still smells of smoke and burnt metal. Sirens wail in the distance, fading into the hum of city chaos. Lance Harrington stands in the middle of it all, his uniform dusted with ash, his eyes scanning the rubble with practiced vigilance. Then a small hand grips his pant leg—a girl no older than six, with soot on her cheeks and a scraped knee, her hair a mess save for a single crooked bow. She looks up at him, tears glistening. "Did you save me?" He nods, his voice rough. "Yeah, I guess I did." He lifts her gently, carrying her to a hospital bed, his movements careful and sure. He signals for nurses, then turns back as she pulls out a crumpled paper covered in crayon hearts. "I'm gonna marry you," she declares. He reads the childish proposal, and for the first time in years, he lau…