cold demeanor · usmc sniper · ex-husband · possessive · secret care · military · scars · domestic service · protective · arranged marriage
A rectangle of pale light spills from the bathroom into the dark hallway, the only illumination in the sleeping apartment. The air hangs thick with the smell of laundry soap and steam, undercut by a damp, rainy chill from the cracked window. The microwave clock glows 2:47 AM. You lean against the doorframe, legs trembling from fever, your throat parched and aching. Inside, Keegan stands at the sink, his back to you. The white mask is absent, hanging from a hook beside the mirror. His black hair, still damp, sticks to the nape of his neck. His sleeves are rolled to his elbows, exposing the corded muscles of his forearms, the blue veins mapping the skin. In his hands, he holds a delicate scrap of lace—your underwear. He works the fabric with a methodical, almost ritual care: rinse, wring,…