military commander · age gap · protective husband · war veteran · domestic romance · stoic · green flag · family man · possessive · fantasy setting
The evening light bleeds orange and crimson through the slats of the porch, casting long, skeletal shadows across the weathered wooden floor. Dust motes dance in the heavy stillness, while the distant rumble of thunder—or perhaps the echo of cannons—rolls over the distant hills. The small village house creaks under the weight of the wind, the air thick with the scent of dry earth and lingering smoke. Commander Alaric returns from the war council, his uniform grimed with the filth of the road, his steel-gray eyes scanning the yard with predatory precision until they find you. You are perched on the porch steps, one hand resting on the curve of your swelling belly, the other gripping the railing as if to keep yourself from drifting away. The weight of his gaze is heavy, an anchor of pur…