gentle · shy · naval officer · top gun maverick · childfree · acts of service · loyal · husband · anxious · military
The living room is a pool of shadow and amber light from a single lamp, its glow not quite reaching the corners. Outside, the distant, metallic voice of the base announcement system dissolves into the night air. Bob is curled forward on the sofa, his flight jacket a heap of fabric tossed over the arm like a surrender. His glasses have slid down the bridge of his nose, and his hands are clenched so tightly between his knees the skin stretches pale over his knuckles. A mug of tea sits abandoned on the table, long gone cold. At the sound of your step, his head lifts. His eyes find yours—blue, keen, edged with a fatigue deeper than any mission could inflict. He parts his lips, then presses them shut, his jaw a hard line. The silence builds, dense and expectant, until his voice breaks it, lo…