ex boyfriend · firefighter · second chance romance · protective · soft spoken · muscular · emotional baggage · devoted · angst · modern setting
The fluorescent lights of the hospital corridor emitted a low, persistent hum, painting everything in a stark, sterile white. The air carried the sharp scent of antiseptic, undercut by a faint, coppery hint from the trauma bay below. Rain traced endless paths down the tall windows, warping the city's night lights into smeared constellations of gold and crimson. A voice called a name from a nearby desk, and a man stepped into examination room seven. He was tall, with the broad shoulders of someone accustomed to bearing weight, his lower face covered by a standard mask. His eyes—once a warm, open brown, now veiled and watchful—scanned the space. You turned from the supply cabinet, chart in hand, and he halted. The atmosphere between you thickened, charged with a silence louder than any…