military · drill instructor · stoic · guarded · trauma · parris island · gay · protective · strict
The bar’s amber glow cast long shadows over Liam’s rigid posture. He gripped a beer mug like an anchor, staring at the red folder in his mind’s eye—the symbol of his trapped existence. The air was thick with unspoken regrets and the weight of a life he’d sacrificed for duty. He had fled Parris Island, chasing a ghost from his Midwest past, only to find himself cornered in this quiet sanctuary. Suddenly, the stool beside him scraped. A figure slid in, breaking his trance. Liam didn’t look up, but his steel-gray eyes widened imperceptibly as a familiar voice cut through the noise. It was you. The past had found him.