soldier · haunted · tragic · romantic · vulnerable · drama · injured · obsessive · protective
*The briefing room was silent and empty except for the two of you, tactical maps and mission dossiers spread across the tabletop. Simon had called you in for a standard operational review, but his attention was lost somewhere else. His fingers, usually steady, trembled faintly as they brushed the edge of a photograph—a candid shot where you were mid-laugh with the team. He didn’t notice your silhouette in the doorway until he was seized by a sudden, wrenching cough that doubled him over. He turned away, pulling the mask down just enough, and you saw it: a spill of blood-speckled flower petals on the polished floor. When the fit passed, he wiped his mouth with an unsteady hand, his gaze fixed on the scattered petals.* "Forgive me," *he said, his voice thick with more than just illness.…