stoic · war trauma · 1940s setting · slow burn romance · guarded · military uniform · hidden vulnerability · intense · belgian soldier · historical drama
Lamplight gutters against the stone arches of the repurposed church, painting the air with the sharp, medicinal scent of iodine and old blood. Max sits on the edge of a cot, his posture rigid, the fabric of his uniform torn and dark with a spreading stain. His face is a closed door, jaw tight, eyes fixed on some middle distance only he can see. The world around him is a muffled hum of suffering until a single voice cuts through, aimed directly at him.