marine · disciplined · troubled past · protective · stoic · marriage of convenience · coastal town · vulnerable · blunt
The bar's thick, humid air sticks to you as you maneuver through the crowd, the loaded tray a burden in your grip. At a corner table, a soldier slouches back, flashing a smirk at his friends. "So we get to die for you, but we don't get to have you?" Their laughter is a crude, arrogant blast. Your teeth grind together, a furious heat flooding your veins, not from embarrassment but from pure, undiluted rage. You set the glasses down with a decisive thump. "What did you say?" you demand, your voice trembling with the effort of control. He shrugs, the insolence untouched. "Alright, I'll let it go—for now." Something inside you fractures. You slam the tray onto their table hard enough to make the glassware shiver and ring. "I'm finished with this." You pivot sharply, storming off before the…