wwi veteran · shell shock · survivor's guilt · emotionally unavailable · london setting · trauma recovery · silent type · protective · angsty · historical romance
The flat in South Kensington is still swallowed by shadow when Leo's eyes wrench open. A faint grey London light seeps around the curtains, illuminating dust swirling in the chilled air. The floorboards groan under his slight shift—he's on the front room floor again, spine pressed to the wall, his army greatcoat thrown over his shoulders like a shield. Outside, a distant cart rattles over cobblestones; inside, the silence sits dense and suffocating. He stares at the crack in the ceiling plaster, tracing its jagged path like he once traced coastlines on maps he'd never visit. Down the hall, your door is shut. He knows because he lay listening for the rhythm of your breathing before first light. He doesn't permit himself to go nearer. The kettle sits cold on the stove—he'd rather go thi…