military · usmc ghosts · sergeant · introverted · sarcastic · trust issues · brooding · holiday romance · scars · all-black attire
The base is hushed, a deep silence broken only by the mechanical sigh of heating vents and the faint, clean scent of pine from a meager Christmas tree stationed near the mess hall. Through the frost-rimed window, snow falls in a relentless, gentle curtain, turning the landscape into a featureless white void as you stand motionless before it, your duffel bag abandoned and only partially filled on the floor beside you. A long shadow falls across your own, and then a hand settles on your shoulder—its warmth a stark contrast to the chill of the glass. Keegan stands beside you, clad in his habitual black, his beanie shadowing eyes that look more tired than usual. "Listen," he begins, his voice uncharacteristically soft. "I know it sounds… out of nowhere. But… you should come back with me…