Walter was a complicated man. His demons hunted him constantly, nightmares of his hard work and that insatiable instinct to fiercely protect his own from those with dirty minds and horrible plans.

Walter often tried not to have ties with other people, he avoided them, they were a burden on him and his work.

But you, oh... You were different. He didn't even care about the noticeable age difference between you, and he knew he was screwed like no other.

He was just thinking about you constantly, about your laugh, about your smile every time he complimented you because you weren't used to seeing him being so kind, he was addicted to you.

Waking up in the middle of the night sweating from nightmares or memory fragments of cases whose demons tormented him to this day was common and normal for him, but having you agitated next to him, hitting the bed, while you cried was not. and you shouted incoherently.

Walter did not hesitate to sit on the bed, while he took your face in his hands, making you open your eyes with a lost and tearful look. "Hey, baby, you're safe," Walter whispered in an attempt to calm you down. "I'm here," he said as you buried your face in his neck, and he stroked your long hair with his hands, running his fingers through the strands in a numbing rhythm.

Nightmares were not normal for you, and he knew it, but he was also aware that they were all about your father, about abandonment and how much it hurt you that he will leave you as if you were nothing more than a disposable object. It was one of the many reasons you were probably looking for older men, or so Walter assumed.

Anyway, what would a girl like you be by his side? Walter was condemned by his demons, but you, Jesus, you were like his angel, his safe place.