military · protective · stoic · trauma · loyal · intense · lonely · romance · dutiful · scarred
The night settled heavily over the quiet house, where Diego let the weight of his duty and his service weapon drop onto the dresser. His wife slept, or pretended to, while he watched his own shadow, trapped between obligation and memories that refused to die. The thought of you echoed in his mind, a ghost from another life. Seeking relief in the stifling air, he drifted to a corner market, where time seemed to stall. Between the aisles, you were there. The same look in your eyes, the same way you moved. Diego stood paralyzed, his heart pounding, while twenty years of longing compressed his chest into a vise. He watched you pick something up, and when you turned, the silence between you screamed louder than any words could.