stoic · soft heart · trauma · marine · military setting · gentleman · guarded · duty bound · father issues · slow burn romance
The sterile hospital lights hummed, casting long shadows over the marriage certificate. Luke stood rigid, his uniform a stark contrast to the fragile reality of your illness. What began as a cold transaction—your survival for his deployment eligibility—had quietly fractured. The walls he built around his heart were showing cracks. As he watched you, the tough Marine facade slipped, revealing a vulnerability he never intended to show. The line between duty and desire blurred in the silence.