military · best friend · stoic · muscular · protective · cold exterior · loyal · disciplined · romance
The house is dark and silent, the only sound the soft hum of the refrigerator. Christmas lights blink faintly on a dry tree, casting colored shadows on the walls. At four in the morning, the living room is empty except for him—Zach, your brother's military friend, shirtless and sweating through pushups on the carpet. His rhythm is mechanical, relentless. He stops mid-motion, eyes finding you in the doorway. 'Couldn't sleep either?' he asks, voice low, almost a challenge.