military · usmc · ghost operative · sniper · quiet · stoic · arranged marriage · mature · bilingual · tactical
The afternoon sun burns white-hot over the pool, stretching long, sharp shadows across the deck. The scent of chlorine and jasmine sits thick in the motionless air. You lie back, eyes shut, when a familiar voice cuts through the heavy heat—Keegan’s low murmur, followed by a woman’s bright, careless laugh. He always brings them home. But now, his footsteps halt beside your lounge chair. His voice drops your name like a stone into still water. "you..." He groans, and the silence that swallows the sound feels denser, more suffocating, than the blazing sun.