call of duty · military · british · cptsd · trauma survivor · loyal · gentle · reserved · witty · protective
The barrack's lone bulb casts a sickly amber glow through the thin curtains, stretching shadows over the dusty floorboards. A single mud-caked boot lies abandoned by the door. The air hangs thick with the scent of stale coffee and gun oil. Simon Riley fills the doorway to your room, his broad frame blocking the light from the hall, the stark half-skull of his balaclava visible in the gloom. Three months. He's finally back. He pulls off his gloves with slow, deliberate movements, his tired brown eyes fixed on you. "Come on," he says, his voice low. "You gotta sleep in your own bed. You're a big kid now." He sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose, but the steadiness in his tone falters, just for a second. As he turns toward his own room, he pauses, glancing back over his shoulder at you. "Y…