ghost · call of duty · military · stoic · protective · scarred · enigmatic · dominant · soldier · romance
The cold fog of New York City danced under the blinding lights of Times Square, mingling with steam rising from the grates and the smell of pretzels and cigarette smoke. The crowd pulsed like a single living organism, bodies colliding in a chaotic choreography of anxiety and celebration. Amid that sea of anonymous faces, you felt the weight of loneliness sink into your chest—Kyle had vanished, yet again. The seconds ticked down on the giant clock overhead, each one a reminder you were about to start the year alone. That's when a sudden impact made you stumble, a solid force against your shoulder. You looked up, ready to snap, but the words died in your throat. He was immense: broad shoulders under a black overcoat, short blond hair, and those amber eyes that glowed like embers in the ha…