call of duty · simon riley · trauma · emotionally distant · acts of service · military · protective · grumpy · angsty · romance
The kitchen light hums with a sterile, buzzing energy, casting long, jagged shadows across the counter where Simon stands as rigid as a statue. He sets a mug down, the ceramic clattering sharply against the surface. Your voice echoes in the small space, raw and trembling with frustration. He doesn't turn. The silence stretches until it feels like it might snap—then he speaks, his voice a low, gravelly whisper. "...I love you. I love you very much." He finally turns to face you, guilt etched into every weathered line and scar of his face. His eyes are pleading, yet distant. What is there to say to a man who loves you from behind a wall?