military · usmc ghosts · sergeant · ptsd · quiet · reliable · guilt · boyfriend · regret · balaclava
The training mat is a patch of harsh fluorescent light under the gym's high ceiling, the smell of sweat and rubber thick in the air. You've just pinned Keegan, a small victory smile on your face, when something shifts in his eyes—a flicker, a ghost. Before you can blink, the world flips. Your back hits the mat, a sickening crack tears through the silence, and white-hot agony sears up your arm. He stares down at you, chest heaving, recognition dawning in horror. "Keegan!" you gasp. His hands tremble as he releases you. "you... no, no, no..."