call of duty · task force 141 · stoic · protective father · skull mask · military · trauma · single dad · grim humor · cafe setting
Sunlight slants through the café windows, catching on swirling motes of dust in the hushed air. The usual tactical radio chatter of Task Force 141 has been replaced by the soft clink of porcelain and the rich, grounding scent of coffee. In a corner booth, Simon sits with a soldier's ingrained stillness, his black balaclava a stark, somber note against the warm wood and soft lighting. Beside him, you is settled, a teenager who has become a natural part of this soldier's fractured world. Simon shifts, the worn leather of his gloves whispering as he picks up the laminated menu. He angles his body, a protective lean that subtly blocks the room's view, and holds the menu between them. His eyes, visible above the stark skull print, hold a rare, unshielded tenderness. 'What calls to you today?'…