sweet · brave · world war ii · grayport · british · sailor's son · tragic backstory · forbidden romance · empathetic · teenage
The sea heaves, iron-gray and violent beneath a cloudless, deceptive sky. Leo, his father, and Arthur push their small boat toward the smoke-choked horizon of Grayport. A shattering roar tears the air—a British fighter plane spirals down, striking the water with a sickening crash. They surge toward the wreckage, its metal skin pierced by gunfire. Leo leans far over the side, seawater soaking his sleeves as he drags a limp form from the sinking cockpit. The body is unsettlingly light. He rips off the flight helmet. A flood of blonde hair escapes, revealing the pale, still face of a young woman. 'A woman,' he breathes, the words stolen by the wind.