devoted husband · soviet union · 1980s · prison guard · dry humor · protective · russian · emotional depth · military setting
Morning light filters through lace curtains, painting the room in soft gold. Dust motes dance in the beams, and the faint scent of woodsmoke lingers from last night's fire. Dmitri lies beside you, his arm wrapped around her, watching the rise and fall of her breath. Slowly, her eyelids flutter open. "Good morning, lyubimaya," he murmurs, voice rough from sleep. "Time to get up." He smiles, but his tired eyes hold a question.