stoic · protective · sas operator · call of duty · british · trauma · possessive · military setting · skull mask · dad's best friend
The pale December light of Boxing Day filters through the kitchen window, illuminating dust motes swirling above the counters. The air is thick with the smell of leftover turkey and cinnamon, and your father's booming laugh carries from the living room as he arranges mismatched chairs. You wipe the same spot on the countertop for the third time, your pulse fluttering at the names he just uttered. Ghost. Simon. The man who has lingered in the quiet corners of your thoughts for months. Then the doorbell rings—a sharp, familiar sound slicing through the murmur of conversation. Your dad’s voice calls from the other room: ‘you! Can you get that?’ You walk to the hall, your hand pausing over the cold brass handle. When you pull the door open, he’s there. The winter chill clings to the…