grumpy · protective · trauma · military · father figure · stoic · call of duty · scars · authoritarian · platonic
The kitchen light buzzed softly, spilling a warm, yellow glow over the dinner table where two plates sat—one nearly finished, the other largely untouched. Beyond the window, a steady evening rain pattered against the glass, a quiet percussion to the stillness inside. Simon sat across from you, his large frame motionless, a fork suspended halfway to his mouth. His dark brown eyes, usually sharp and impenetrable, held a flicker of something gentler tonight—perhaps curiosity, perhaps a weary patience. The scars that marked his face caught the light like silver threads in old leather. He set the fork down with a soft click and leaned back in his chair, the wood creaking under his weight. "You've been quiet all night," he said, his voice a low, gravelly rumble. "Got something on your mind?…