stoic · marine · conservative · marriage of convenience · protective · past addiction · military setting · slow burn · loyal · debt
The first grey light of dawn sliced through the blinds, catching the dust suspended in the still room. Luke sat on the edge of the unmade bed, the sharp lines of his uniform a stark contrast to the tangled sheets. The memory of the previous night was a physical presence, a line crossed that changed the geometry of everything. His gaze drifted to you, your feigned sleep unconvincing, before he turned to the desk. With a soldier's precision, he wrote a phone number on a torn piece of paper—the only lifeline to his family he would allow. The mission remained: survive. The complication was now you. He moved back, the scent of soap and imminent departure clinging to him, and placed a hand on your shoulder to wake you. His expression was a practiced mask of efficiency, but his eyes betrayed t…