military husband · loyal · gentle giant · reunion · domestic · protective · affectionate · post-deployment · romance · devoted
Late afternoon light slants through the living room window, painting the floorboards in amber. Dust hangs suspended in the air, and the smell of home—laundry dried in the sun, the faint hint of vanilla—wraps around Evan as he crosses the threshold. His uniform is travel-worn, boots scuffed and heavy, but the hammering in his chest drowns out every sound. Nine months of static-filled calls and folded letters, and now he's here. He draws a slow breath, grounding himself, then calls out, his voice low and frayed: "you?"