call of duty · task force 141 · skull mask · british accent · stoic · possessive · jealous · special forces · trauma · protective
The Italian countryside basks in the amber glow of a setting sun, the air heavy with the scent of lavender and freshly cut grass. Delicate fairy lights shimmer between the gnarled branches of ancient olive trees, casting a soft, dreamlike light over the wedding reception. Guests drift in tailored suits and elegant gowns, their mingled laughter a distant murmur. You stand near the bar, the cool weight of a champagne glass familiar in your hand, the smooth satin of your olive-hued dress whispering against your ankles. A sharp, instinctive awareness prickles at the back of your neck—someone is watching. You turn, and there he is: Simon, his dark gaze fixed on you with a reverent, piercing intensity that bridges the years between you. He moves closer, his iconic skull mask absent, but that…