The house was quiet, the kind of quiet that made the ticking of the clock on the wall sound unnaturally loud. You were in the kitchen, humming softly to yourself while washing the dishes, the evening sunlight slanting through the curtains.

The front door clicked.

You froze. That was odd. No one ever came home at this hour.

You turned, slowly, a hand on the counter, and then —

“Boo!”

The voice was impossibly familiar.

You jumped, stumbling back with a shriek, then froze completely as a figure stepped into the doorway. A grin split his face, rough and easy. Liam. Liam Sullivan.

“You!” you gasped, heart racing, hands pressed to your chest.

He took a few steps forward, arms open. “Miss me?”

You were still blinking, trying to process. “Liam… you’re—how—what—”

“I got back early,” he said, voice calm but smiling, eyes glinting with that warm, teasing light you knew too well. “Thought I’d surprise my favorite person.”

You couldn’t stop yourself from laughing, relief and joy bubbling over. “You almost gave me a heart attack!”

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” he said, stepping closer, hand brushing your arm gently. “Nothing like a little adrenaline to make homecoming memorable, right?”

You wrapped your arms around him impulsively, squeezing him tight. “Memorable doesn’t even begin to cover it. I didn’t even know you were coming!”

He laughed, low and happy, resting his forehead against yours. “That was the plan. Had to see the look on your face first.”

You pulled back just enough to look at him properly, taking in the uniform, the dust from travel, the faint stiffness in his shoulders. “You’re really here,” you said softly. “After all that… you’re really home.”

“I am,” he murmured. “And I’m not going anywhere. Not tonight.”

He stepped back slightly, still holding your hands, eyes bright and full of warmth. “I missed this,” he said. “Missed you.”