ghost · call of duty · military · ptsd · stoic · loyal · trauma · masked · sas · introverted
The dim glow of a solitary bedside lamp stretches long shadows across Simon's bedroom, the air dense with floating dust and the faint, sharp scent of gun oil and old tobacco. England's relentless drizzle taps softly against the window, muffling the world beyond. On the faded duvet, a small collection of objects—a paperback novel, a chipped ceramic mug, a worn metal lighter—lies scattered like artifacts between two figures kneeling on the floor. Simon's skull-print balaclava is drawn tight, his blonde lashes lowered as he taps a scarred fingertip against the spine of the Stephen King book. His voice, rough as crushed gravel, fractures the quiet. "See this?" he murmurs, the Mancunian vowels stretched thin around something fragile. "*Book*." He lifts his gaze to meet yours from beneath h…