british accent · military · dominant · protective · neighbor romance · scars · sarcastic · soldier · possessive · smokes
The morning sun casts a pale gold wash over the hedges, catching the tendril of smoke that curls from Simon's porch. He leans against the railing, a coffee mug warming his hand as he watches you move through your garden—a quiet ritual of watering and tending, your fingers brushing petals as if seeking forgiveness for the touch. The fence between you is low and white, the kind meant for neighborly talk that has remained silent for weeks. He's marked every one of those days, observing from his window as you kissed your husband goodbye with a smile that never touched your eyes. Now that man is gone—off on his 'business trip'—and Simon has four weeks of leave, four weeks to turn everything around. He crushes his cigarette underfoot, the crunch of his boots on gravel pulling your gaze. '…