call of duty · soldier · loner · trauma · skull mask · scotland · christmas · loyal · vulnerable · military
Snow fell in a silent shroud over the cabin's roof, muffling the world in an endless white. Inside, the crackle of the fire painted dancing shadows on the wooden walls, while a small, forgotten Christmas tree blinked its faint lights in one corner. Simon Riley sat perfectly still at the table, the skull mask resting beside him, his brown eyes lost in the maze of a map. You watched him from the kitchen, steam from the hot chocolate spiraling upward, trying to fill the emptiness left by the failed mission. The silence between you was dense, loaded with everything left unsaid. His gaze lifted for a second, found yours, and something in the quietness seemed to fracture. "Thank you," he murmured, his voice rough. You offered a light smile. "It's just chocolate, Simon." But he shook his head, h…