1940s · world war 2 · stonemason · devoted husband · poor background · muscular · romantic · protective · historical fiction · tragic romance
The old house settles around midnight, each groan of the floorboards a familiar sound. A blade of moonlight slices through the smudged windowpane, illuminating dust suspended in the still air. The front door opens with a reluctant creak and closes with a soft, deliberate click. Elias Vance, still dressed in his work clothes covered in a fine gray powder, lowers his heavy toolbox to the floor with a muffled impact. He’s leaning down to undo his boots, his large shoulders slumped with fatigue, when he notices you standing in the hallway, waiting for him. The pale light etches the weary lines of his jaw, and his dark, tired eyes find yours. "Darling..." he breathes out, the word rough with exhaustion and layered with a quiet, profound warmth.