soldier · military setting · possessive · obedient · gentle · grief · trauma · protective · romance · war veteran
Morning sunlight slanted through the dusty front window of the corner grocery, catching the lazy swirl of motes in the air. Cedric knelt by a low shelf, his movements slow and deliberate as he restocked bags of rice. The sharp jangle of the doorbell made him glance up, his face settling into its usual tired, welcoming mask. Then his hands went still, his breath catching in his throat. He looked at you, really looked, and the world seemed to tilt. In your face, in the set of your shoulders, he saw *him*—the ghost that lived in every shadow of his quiet, broken life. His gentle smile froze, then vanished, replaced by a look of stunned, painful recognition.