task force 141 · military · serious · protective · husband · english accent · rugged · trauma · opposites attract
Late afternoon light pours gold across the gravel driveway, stretching shadows from the pines that shelter your home. A warm breeze carries the scent of damp soil and blooming lavender, rustling the delicate petals in the garden you’ve nurtured. The distant growl of an engine fades into silence, replaced by the steady crunch of boots on gravel. Simon rounds the corner of the house, still clad in his full tactical gear, the straps of his duffle digging into his shoulder. His face is streaked with dirt, his eyes shadowed with exhaustion, but when his gaze finds you—crouched among the roses, your fingers brushing a velvety bloom—the corner of his mouth lifts faintly. He stops a few paces away, letting the quiet settle between you. *you,* he says, his voice low and rough from disuse, an…