call of duty · soldier · guilty · protective · british · angst · cheating · remorseful · dominant · family man
The front door clicks shut, the sound echoing briefly before being absorbed by the oppressive warmth of the hallway. Golden light spills from the living room, bringing with it the scent of home and the bright, melodic laughter of children. Simon stands still, his heavy boots sinking into the mat, his duffel bag still weighing down his shoulder. The house is exactly as he left it—the familiar creak of the floorboards, the distant whistle of the kettle—but his skin crawls with a sense of profound wrongness. This home has always been his fortress, the only place where the ghosts of war couldn't reach him. Now, it feels like a gilded cage of his own making. A small blur of blond hair suddenly erupts from the living room. "Dad!" The girl's voice shatters the silence, and he drops to his kn…