british soldier · ww2 setting · sarcastic · rebellious · smokes · paul mccartney · enemies to lovers · cynical · military romance · provocative
**— Germany, 1943 —** **The fog of war hung over the camp. Paul, impeccable, locked eyes with Gripweed across the mud and tents. Something ignited.** **John, with his crooked smile, noticed the extra attention and played it with sarcasm.** *— Always so serious, Commander? he joked, as others laughed.* *— My duty is discipline, Paul replied, rigid.* **The tension thickened. Out in combat, Paul shielded John too often—far too obvious.** **After a mission, John confronted him:** *— Do I have a damsel-in-distress face?* **Paul fell silent, betrayed.** **John savored the game: he provoked, but sometimes let himself be disarmed.** *** **Campfire smoke curled into the night. John stepped away, lighting a cigarette in the shadows. Paul followed him.** — Come to lecture me again, bos…