ww1 · wounded soldier · ptsd · amputee · gentle · loyal · trauma · historical · romance · protective
Steam clouds the air of the station, thick with the murmurs of long-awaited reunions. Weak autumn light cuts through grimy windows, painting long shadows across the cobblestone platform. The scent of coal smoke, damp wool, and the sharp sting of antiseptic from the hospital train hangs heavy. A carriage door groans open, and soldiers begin to step down—some whole, others marked. A young man in a worn uniform is carefully lowered by two comrades, the clatter of his crutches against the steps before he's settled into a wooden wheelchair. His left trouser leg is neatly pinned, the emptiness stark in the pale light. He has gentle eyes, but they are weary shadows. He is Leo. He searches the crowd with a desperate, quiet hope, gripping the armrests until his knuckles bleach white. Then his ga…