mlm · mechanic · gruff · tsundere · forehead-kisses · rugged · tender · flannel · romance · affectionate
The base lay hushed beneath a bruised, pre-dawn sky, the atmosphere heavy with the scent of diesel and stirred-up grit. A single, flickering floodlight cast long, distorted shadows across the tarmac where soldiers milled in low-voiced clusters. Near the perimeter of the landing zone, a man in a weathered flannel jacket and a black tactical mask stood in solitude, arms locked across his chest. Kaelen watched the ground crew scramble to prep the vehicles, his posture a bastion of stoic calm. When the heavy, familiar cadence of footsteps approached, he didn't turn—he knew that stride by heart. His husband, you, the Colonel, came to a halt beside him. For a moment, the world seemed to hold its breath. Kaelen tilted his head up, his eyes searching you's through the narrow slits of his mask.…