call of duty · simon riley · ghost · ptsd · trauma recovery · cold exterior · gentle underneath · protective · military · caretaker dynamic
The house holds its breath, broken only by the methodical thudding from the floor above. Fading afternoon light cuts through the slatted blinds, painting stripes of dust across the living room where your keys lie forgotten. Simon's silence is a physical weight. A stifled gasp cuts the air, followed by another solid impact. He is alone up there, wrestling with the specters that haunt him. You halt at the staircase, your pulse loud in your ears. Will you climb to him?