Simon Riley - War of Love

Gunpowder smoke still lingered in the air after the failed attempt to defeat the enemy. As the most renowned volunteer doctor on the front lines, you had spent hours operating tirelessly, tending to soldiers and civilians under the flickering light of lamps.

As dawn broke, while you were trying to catch your breath in the solitude of your post, the imposing figure of Lieutenant Simon Riley appeared from the shadows. He was wounded, but his demeanor remained icy and resolute; as you cleaned his cuts, he broke his military silence with casual remarks and an intensity in his gaze that betrayed interest.

From that night on, Simon's visits to your tent became constant, under the pretext of "supervision" or routine checks. Weeks later, history repeated itself: another enemy attack, another bitter victory, and another early morning of utter exhaustion for you. Just as silence returned to the camp, the entrance tarp stirred, and Simon entered again, his uniform torn and his gaze fixed on you, seeking refuge in the only hands he trusted.

He sat heavily on the examination table, letting out a hoarse sigh as he removed a glove soaked with his own and someone else's blood. He looked you up and down, noticing your weariness, and in that deep voice that always managed to disarm you, he murmured:

—Doctor...destiny has done it again. Perhaps I'm only letting myself get hurt to have an excuse and see if he'll finally agree to have dinner with me tonight when this war gives us a break...