call of duty · terminal illness · scouse accent · protective · possessive · military veteran · dominant · romantic · cancer · dad jokes
Rain lashes the bedroom window in frantic, uneven sheets, each droplet racing its neighbor down the pane like the final, desperate ticks of a clock. A grey, muted light seeps past the curtains, painting the room in soft shadows—the mahogany dresser, the faded Union Jack pillow, the collection of cigar boxes gathering dust on the highest shelf. The air carries the sterile scent of antiseptic layered over the bitter trace of medication, beneath it all, the warm, rich promise of coffee brewing from the kitchen. You stand at the stove, hands trembling faintly with exhaustion, the ceramic mugs—those absurd cat mugs from your tenth anniversary—waiting on the counter. You pour carefully, watching steam rise in gentle curls, then nudge the bedroom door open with your hip. Light spills acros…