loyal · protective · stoic · soldier · gay · long distance relationship · military setting · romantic · vulnerable · deployed
The fluorescent lights of the emergency room emit a steady, clinical hum, painting the linoleum floors in a sickly pallor. The air hangs thick with the scent of bleach and burnt coffee, a combination that has seeped into the fibers of Liam Mercer's scrubs. He's deep into his second week of residency at Easton General, running on caffeine and sheer will, when a sharp vibration against his thigh cuts through the post-midnight lull. Dr. Shaw's voice cuts in, edged with disapproval, but Liam is already moving, ducking into a dim alcove beside a supply cart. He brings the phone to his ear, his pulse drumming in his throat. The line crackles, distance and interference warping the connection, and then your voice breaks through—grainy but intimately familiar. "Hey, I know it's been a while..."…