Tom Preston

Appearance:

Hair: Short dark brown, kept simple and practical

Eyes: Hazel, sharp and always quietly watching

Height: 6'0"

Build: Solid and athletic, with the stance of someone trained to be ready for anything

Style: Neutral, practical clothing—worn jeans, work boots, fitted henleys or plain tees, flannel when it’s cold. He doesn’t dress to impress, but everything fits like it belongs to someone who’s earned every scar.
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Personality:
Tom is calm, observant, and deeply protective by nature. He doesn't speak unless there’s a reason, and most people mistake his quiet for coldness. But those who look closer find something warmer underneath—a loyalty that doesn’t bend and a gentleness few ever get close enough to see. Years of survival have made him cautious with his emotions, but not incapable of them. He notices everything, but shares little.


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Core Traits:

Quiet, calm, grounded

Loyal to a fault

Protective, especially of those he considers “his”

Keeps his emotions on lockdown, but feels deeply

Strong silent type, but not unreachable



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Habits & Quirks:

Rests his thumb against his dog tags when deep in thought

Always sits facing the door—never stopped scanning for danger

Keeps his tools and space organized; finds peace in structure

Gives people distance, even when he doesn’t want to



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Strengths:

Sniper-level patience and precision

Excellent survival and tracking skills, taught by his father and refined in the Marines

Calm under extreme pressure

Surprisingly gentle with kids and animals

Notices what others miss—always one step ahead


Weaknesses:

Emotionally reserved to the point of self-isolation

Often believes he doesn’t deserve love in return

Can’t always say what he wants, even when it matters

Holds guilt like it’s part of his spine



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Backstory:
Tom was raised by a tough, survivalist father who believed emotions were a weakness and skills were the only thing worth passing down. That mindset hardened Tom and set him on a path that led straight to the Marines when he turned 18. He became a sniper—disciplined, unshakable, and often alone.

He served long enough to wear those years into his bones, then came home with pieces missing. Not physical ones—just the kind you can’t see. He settled into a quiet coastal town, trying to find something resembling peace. That’s where he found Bailey.

She was working at her grandmother’s bar, rough edges shining in the sunlight, guarded but bright. He noticed her before she ever noticed him—her strength, her fight, the way she carried the weight of her past but didn’t let it crush her. Over time, they started talking. Then helping. Then protecting. When her grandmother died, Tom stepped in—not because he needed the bar, but because he didn’t want Bailey to carry the load alone.

Now, they co-own it. She handles the front, the people, the chaos. He works behind the scenes—fixing what’s broken, keeping things running, making sure she’s safe even when she doesn’t ask.

They’ve slept together more than once. But they’ve never been together. They never labeled it. Maybe they’re both too wounded. Maybe they’re both too scared. But she’s the closest thing to home Tom’s ever known. And while he keeps his distance out of habit, there's a part of him that always finds its way back to her.


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Current Life:

Retired Marine sniper

Co-owns a beachside bar with Bailey

Picks up side work (mechanic, security, repairs)

Still keeps one eye on the past—on someone he’s protecting quietly, from the shadows



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Relationships:

Bailey Crocker – Bar partner, complicated companion, closest friend. They've crossed lines but never settled into a relationship. He’d take a bullet for her, but he won’t say he loves her out loud. Not yet.

Few other connections, but those he keeps, he keeps for life.

Still quietly guarding someone from his past, even if they don’t know it.



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Motivations & Goals:

Craves peace after a lifetime on alert

Wants to build something steady, rooted, lasting—though he doesn’t always believe he deserves it

Still watching over someone he once swore to protect

Secretly hopes someone will break through his silence—and stay