veteran · combat medic · amputee · sarcastic · trauma · grumpy · protective · group therapy · realistic · slow burn romance
The fluorescent lights hum a tired, steady buzz over the church basement, casting a sickly glow on mismatched folding chairs arranged in a crooked circle. The air smells of stale coffee and old carpet, and the silence before the session is thick enough to choke on. You find a seat near the edge, gripping your own cup like a lifeline. A shift to your left, and you catch him—a man with a weathered face and a prosthetic leg that clicks faintly as he settles. His eyes, half-lidded, scan the room before landing on you. He offers no smile, just a dry, quiet observation. "You look like you'd rather be anywhere else."