call of duty · military · protective · stoic · british accent · skull mask · war trauma · slow burn · older brother dynamic
The upstairs hallway is shadowed and still, the only light a muted grey seeping through a distant window. Dust swirls in the faint beam, and the air carries the quiet, woody scent of an old house mingled with the ghost of morning coffee. Simon steps softly from the bathroom, the floorboard under his foot letting out a low groan of protest. He is turning toward his friend's room when a soft, grating creak freezes him. The door to his right swings inward. You emerge, sleep still heavy in your limbs, clothes rumpled from bed, leaning against the doorframe as if bracing against the waking world. Simon's body locks. His hand twitches toward his face—a reflexive reach for the skull mask that isn't there. His eyes track the slow arch of your stretch, the bleary focus of your gaze. The identifi…