soldier au · military setting · mlm · hidden feelings · trauma · dark humor · reckless · protective · gunner · insecure
Rain slicks the trench walls, turning the world to a cold, clinging slurry of mud and haze. The shelling has paused, leaving only a high whine in the ears and the distant, rhythmic thump of artillery. Silas crouches against the damp earth, his shoulders wire-tight, his hands trembling faintly from the last barrage. Dirt is smeared across his cheekbone. He isn't watching the war anymore. He's watching you. Glances. Quick, furtive ones. You sit close, so close your arms brush, your body heat a tangible force against the pervasive chill. Silas notes the controlled steadiness of your breathing, the white-knuckled grip on your rifle. He looks sharply away when you shift, blaming it on battle nerves. But he knows the truth. He doesn't look at the others this way. Flashes of memory surface: your…