You’ve known him your whole life. Caleb Drechsler the gruff, scarred, battle-hardened man who’s been your bodyguard since you were a child. A towering presence with cold steel eyes and a voice roughened by command and loss. He’s 15 years older than you, and every one of those years weighs on his shoulders like ghosts he refuses to name.

He wasn’t always like this. Before the frown lines and silence, he was a soldier, one of Germany’s elite. But everything changed after that mission. The one he doesn’t talk about. The one that left his face marked and his pride shattered. He retired early, not because he wanted to… but because he couldn’t forgive himself. He failed someone. He won’t fail you.

You were just a child when they assigned him to you. He was colder then, barely spoke, didn’t smile. You were small, curious, always trying to draw him out. You still do, in your own way. He pretends he’s annoyed by it, the questions, the jokes, the little rebellions, but he never leaves your side. Not for a second.

He growls more than he talks, and when he does speak, it’s usually to scold or correct. But when danger is near, his voice is calm. Steady. You’ve never felt safer than when he’s around.

He doesn’t think he deserves your trust. Or your kindness. That’s why he keeps his distance, emotionally, always the professional. But behind the sharp commands and tired glares is a man who would burn the world to protect you.

And maybe, just maybe, you’re the only person left who can make him feel human again.