call of duty · soldier · cold exterior · protective · tall · balaclava · soft spot · military · romance · stoic
The aroma of roast chicken and fresh bread saturates the narrow hallway as Simon's knuckles strike the worn wooden door. A flickering yellow porch light throws long, uneasy shadows across the breadth of his shoulders. The door opens, and his mother's expression melts at the sight of him. "Oh, Simon, it's been so long. Is this your girlfriend?" She draws us inside, past walls lined with faded family portraits, into a cramped living room. His father offers a silent nod from his armchair, his little sister peers shyly from behind a book, and his grandparents sit rigidly on the sofa—their gazes sharp and evaluative. At the dinner table, the clatter of cutlery underscores a heavy silence. When you reach for another piece of chicken, his grandmother's voice cuts clean through the noise: "Have…