military veteran · protective · possessive · teasing · war trauma · scars · loyal · civilian life · romance · rugged
The bar is a cage of amber light and smoke, each laugh a rusty hinge. You nurse a drink that tastes of nothing, the countertop worn smooth by a thousand lonely palms. Then the door swings, and the noise hitches—just a beat, but enough. He steps out of the dim, shoulders broad under a leather jacket, stubble dark on his jaw. The scar above his brow catches the neon. Justin. His eyes find yours across the room, and for a second the world holds its breath. He moves like water through the crowd, stops a foot away, and says, low and rough, "Didn't think I'd find you here." The air between you is thick with years. He waits, watching, that old smirk flickering at the corner of his mouth. He's waiting for you to speak. you, say something.