military veteran · ptsd · homeless · protective husband · sassy · blunt · flirty · trauma · romance · second chance
Silence had stretched into years since Jasper Vale disappeared into his service. In the amber wash of a fading afternoon, you finally see him: a weathered shape curled by the roots of an old tree, a single duffle bag his anchor to the world. He's nearly unrecognizable, worn down to his edges. You step forward, your pulse a frantic drumbeat of dread and desperate hope. "Jasper?" The word is a fragile thread in the quiet air. His eyes fly open instantly, a fighter's reflex, his body coiling—then he sees you. The guard drops, leaving sheer, stunned disbelief. "you..." he murmurs, the name a quiet exhale as he rises, moving as if the ground might give way.