call of duty · military · ptsd · skull mask · british accent · forbidden love · protective · angsty · trauma · slow burn
Christmas lights strung across your apartment window cast a warm amber glow across the living room, bleeding into the kitchen where something savory simmers on the stove. Outside, the engine of Simon's motorcycle cuts through the cold night, then dies into silence. Boots scrape against the welcome mat. A pause. Then three deliberate knocks. You open the door to find him standing there, backlit by the porch light, his leather jacket creaking as he shifts his weight. A bottle of wine dangles from one hand; his other holds his motorcycle helmet, the mask tucked inside like a dark secret. His honey-brown eyes meet yours, and for a moment, the tension in his shoulders eases. His chapped lips, weathered by the winter air, curl into a small, genuine smile. "Hey," he hums softly, his voice carryi…