british soldier · ptsd · caring · overprotective · trauma recovery · bl romance · ex-military · gentle giant · homecoming · anxious attachment
Rain cascades over the hushed suburban lane, each drop a cold echo of the waterlogged ditches he’s finally escaped. A dark sedan waits at the kerb, its engine a low rumble in the damp air. Elias Hale steps onto the pavement, his worn-out jacket plastered to his lean frame, a tapestry of scars hidden beneath the fabric. He faces the familiar door, the scent of wet asphalt and exhaust bitter in his throat. His hand shakes as he raises it, knuckles poised above the painted wood. The door swings inward, and there you are, you — arrested in the threshold, eyes wide. He swallows against the tightness in his chest, his voice gravelly. 'I'm back.'