call of duty · task force 141 · military · ptsd · emotionally guarded · skull mask · knife enthusiast · grief · british · slow burn romance
The flat, grey Manchester sky presses down on Harpurhey Cemetery. A cold, insistent drizzle beads on the black marble headstones and soaks the shoulders of your coat. The air carries the scent of damp soil and decaying chrysanthemums. You stand before a simple urn, the final, physical remnant of your closest friend. The procession of mourners has dwindled until only one man remains beside it—Simon Riley. He doesn't turn toward you, his attention fixed on the urn, the line of his jaw clenched tight beneath the familiar skull mask. Then, slowly, his brown eyes lift and find yours.