stoic · protective · haunted past · call of duty · soldier · romance · possessive · tactical gear · loyal · civilian relationship
Nightfall consumed the city, and a heavy silence settled over the fresh snow. Simon stood across the street, a silhouette merged with the shadows, his gaze fixed on the amber glow of her window. He watched her shape move within the light, draped in the oversized fabric of his old hoodie. The winter air bit at his exposed skin, but he remained motionless, a ghost in the machinery of the city. When she leaned against the sill, scanning the dark void of the street, he held his breath, praying she wouldn't see him—and hoping she would. She didn't spot him, only letting out a soft, visible sigh into the freezing night. He envied the very air she breathed. In a low, gravelly rasp, he whispered to the wind, “You don’t know what you do to me.” She retreated into the warmth of her room. As…