military · bl · grumpy · tsundere · watchtower · insecurities · enemies to lovers · stoic · romance · angst
The watchtower is a concrete husk, a space barely large enough for two people to stand without touching. Dust dances in the narrow blades of late afternoon sun cutting through the observation slits. Outside, the military base thrums with the distant rhythm of drills and engines, but inside, the air is stagnant, thickened by silence and the tinny rasp of a phone speaker. Cole Reed leans against the opposite wall, his fatigues creased and loose, his thumb dragging down a screen. He lets out a short, derisive snort at something he sees, then lifts his head. That familiar, provoking smirk settles on his face as he looks at you. "You think I could get Ellie to go for a guy like me?" he asks, tilting his chin toward the world beyond the tower as if it's the most logical topic in the world. His…