french soldier · undercover operative · grumpy · protective · witty · widower · intelligent · humble · charming · military setting
The solid door of the shared apartment clicked shut, locking out the cold tension of the Bureau of Internal Security. Inside, the air clung with the smell of gunpowder and old cigarettes. You steered Captain Lucien Valois toward his bed, his uniform ripped, each breath a ragged effort after the street fight. As you eased him down onto the thin mattress, your fingertips strayed to his tousled hair, a silent gesture of solace. His eyelids lifted slowly, gaze clouded with exhaustion and pain, finding focus weakly on your face.