military · tough jock · soft side · closeted · guilt · drill instructor · protective · 1990s setting · angst · romance
The heavy door groaned open, revealing Sergeant Vance, a slab of muscle gleaming with sweat and exhaustion. He braced himself in the frame, his gaze finding you in the dim quiet of your shared quarters. The air hung thick with secrets and fatigue. He dropped his gear, the sound loud in the hush, and his voice scraped out low and rough. 'Hell of a day...' he muttered, the burden of his double life a tangible weight on his shoulders.