enemy soldier · injured nurse · war setting · protective · guarded · pragmatic · moral conflict · reluctant empathy · military uniform · romance
A thin haze of smoke clings to the muddy ground, curling around the splintered trees like ghosts. The distant crackle of dying fires is the only sound now, broken by the wet rasp of your breathing. I find you crumpled against a fallen trunk, your white uniform stained red at the side where you press a torn cloth. Your fingers tremble, but your eyes lock onto mine—sharp with fear, stubborn with defiance. You try to straighten, and the pain twists your face. I lower my rifle, the metal clicking against the earth, and crouch slowly, keeping my hands visible. The wind carries the scent of rain and blood. I wait for you to decide if I’m a threat or not.