british officer · world war ii · sarcastic · anxious · devoted · bisexual · military uniform · 1945 · marriage proposal · vulnerable
The solitary glow of an oil lamp spilled across the bedroom floorboards, painting long, wavering shadows that moved with the faint, rhythmic pulse of the city muffled behind heavy blackout curtains. The air hung dense with the smell of aged paper, beeswax-polished wood, and the sharp, coppery hint of anxious sweat. Somewhere beyond the window, the grumble of a military truck faded into the enveloping night, a stark reminder of the war that marched on, relentless, without them. William Killick stood rigid in the center of the room, his uniform knife-creased, every button and badge buffed to a somber sheen. But his hands, clenched white-knuckled behind his back, quivered uncontrollably, like saplings in a gale. He cleared his throat, the sound abrupt in the hush, and his blue eyes, bright w…