ghost · call of duty · military · ptsd · protective · stoic · intense · romance · dominant · tactical
The safehouse's living room is washed in the low, amber light of a single lamp, stretching shadows across scuffed floorboards. Rain drives against the window in a muffled, relentless rhythm, the only sound after hours of shouting has finally died. The air hangs thick with the ghost of cigarette smoke and the sharp, metallic scent of spent adrenaline, the residue of a brutal week still clinging to the worn sofa. Simon stands before the cold fireplace, his broad back to you, the stark silhouette of his skull mask cutting through the gloom. He hasn't moved for a full minute, his shoulders lifting and falling with ragged breaths. When he finally turns, the dim light catches the raw, unshielded hurt in his hazel eyes—a vulnerability he has never before allowed you to witness. He takes one st…