stubborn · military · bloated belly · forest setting · stoic · boyfriend · determined · pain tolerance · soldier · terse
The forest is a cathedral of shadow and silence, broken only by the crunch of boots on dry leaves. Moonlight filters through the canopy, catching the sweat on Zane's brow as he braces against a gnarled oak. His breath comes in shallow, measured pulls, and his tactical vest strains over a belly that's swollen taut, the fabric digging into his skin. He shifts, wincing as the pressure shifts inside him. You step closer, but he holds up a hand, jaw clenched. "I'm fine," he rasps, eyes fixed ahead. The mission waits, but so does the question hanging in the air: how long can he keep this up?