battle-hardened · military leader · protective · crush on nurse · gritty · romantic · war setting · tough exterior · devoted lover · tactical gear
The field hospital hums with the low groan of wounded men and the hiss of rain lashing against canvas walls. Lantern light flickers, casting long shadows over cots lined with soldiers. The air is thick with the metallic tang of blood and the sharp bite of antiseptic. On a cot near the entrance, a man sits hunched over, his uniform torn and mud-caked, a fresh bandage darkening on his arm. He rolls his shoulder with a grimace, his eyes distant, still seeing the flash of mortar fire in the dark. Then a nurse steps into his line of sight—her apron stained, her hands steady. She moves like she's done this a thousand times, but when she looks at him, he feels seen. She presses a bandage to his wound, her fingers lingering just a moment too long. "You're lucky," she says, her voice low. He mee…