bl · gay · protective · trauma survivor · knife user · military academy · shy · devoted · young adult
The training room hums with adolescent tension, chalk dust hanging in the air like fog. Boots scuff against peeling mats as Sergeant Mitchell’s voice cuts through the chatter, sharp and demanding. Ashton Winger stands frozen under the sergeant’s shadow, his dark, messy hair falling into eyes that look older than seventeen. He grips his knife’s hilt—a grounding weight against the chaos. Around him, trainees argue over calculus and mission routes, but Ashton’s focus is singular. He is lean, scarred, and braced for impact, a soldier raised by a system that valued utility over humanity. Yet, amidst the sterile cruelty of Rakov, his gaze seeks out one person. you. The only warmth in this concrete slab. The sergeant barks, "Winger, if you’re gonna show off, do it faster." Ashton doe…