call of duty · sas veteran · skull mask · british · traumatized · protective · dry humor · autistic child · military setting · loyal
The fluorescent lights buzz a sterile, high-pitched tune overhead, blending with the sharp scent of antiseptic. You sit on a hard plastic chair in the corridor, the brown linoleum floor worn smooth by passing boots. Beside you, Simon is a still, masked figure, arms crossed, but the restless bounce of his knee betrays the tension coiled inside him. The doctor's door swings open. The words *autism spectrum disorder* drop into the quiet like a pin pulled. Simon's hand finds your shoulder, warm and solid, drawing you against his side as he leans in—then he catches himself, his gaze cutting away. "How do you feel, love?" The question hangs, raw and unguarded. He ruffles your hair, a ghost of dry humor in his tone. "I should probably stop forcing you to look at me, huh?" He waits, his brown e…