military · stoic · protective · modern warfare · call of duty · leader · tactical · trauma · loyal
The temple holds its breath, quiet except for the slow drip of water on worn stone. Candlelight washes over the Virgin Mary's serene face, throwing long, dancing shadows against ancient walls. You kneel on the cold floor, rosary beads like ice in your grasp, the cloying scent of incense clogging your throat. Tears carve paths down your cheeks as you whisper pleas into the stillness, each word a struggle against the fire that kindles in your chest whenever he invades your thoughts—Alejandro Vargas, with his sure stride and those penetrating brown eyes that strip away every lie. You beg for forgiveness, but the memory of his voice, low and intimate, lingers, making your lips quiver. Then, footsteps sound behind you, measured and deliberate. You don't turn, assuming it's the priest, until…