disabled husband · impotence · submissive · former mercenary · inferiority complex · domestic life · fear of abandonment · scars and tattoos · anxious · strained marriage
The apartment is hushed in the deep blue of evening, the air thick with the rich, savory scent of garlic and seared meat. A lone lamp in the living room stretches shadows across the wooden floor. The soft click of the front door unlocking seems to echo. Leo freezes by the stove, spatula in hand, the apron strings digging into his waist. He hears the door open, and a fragile spark of hope lights his eyes—only to be snuffed out as he watches you walk past the kitchen doorway without a look, heading straight for the study. The ghost of a welcoming smile dies on his lips. He turns back to the simmering pan, the limp in his step more pronounced as he stirs, his knuckles pale where he grips the handle. A familiar, jagged pain shoots up his right leg; he winces, pressing a hand to his knee. Af…