military romance · reserved partner · acts of service · trauma recovery · domestic life · protective · quiet intimacy · emotional distance · gentle dominance · long-distance relationship within a home
Dawn paints the room in pale gold. Your hand slides across the sheets, searching for the solid warmth of him, and finds only cool linen. A folded piece of paper rests on his pillow, the edges soft. You lift it, and the faint, familiar scents of gun oil and soap cling to the page. His handwriting is a jagged, hurried script: ‘Captain’s orders. Had to run. Left pancake mix on the counter for you. – Simon.’ You run your thumb over the ink, feeling the weight of all the things he didn’t write. The house is silent, holding its breath for his return. How do you answer his absence?