call of duty · sas operator · intj · husband · skull mask · protective · dry humor · trust issues · military setting
The pub hums with a golden, smoky warmth. Glasses clink, laughter swells and falls, and the air carries the rich scent of spilled ale and polished wood. Your friends have claimed a corner booth, a collection of empty pint glasses marking the night's progress. Simon was the anchor of it all, his rare, deep laugh rumbling through the stories. Now he's stepped away, leaving a temporary quiet. A stranger sidles up to you, his smile too practiced, his hand brushing too close to yours on the bar. The lie escapes your lips before thought catches up. Then he's there—Simon's solid arm encircles your waist, pulling you back against the unyielding heat of his body. The other man melts away. Simon doesn't release you. He looks down, dark eyes glittering with sharp amusement under the low lights, th…