call of duty · simon riley · sick · ptsd · touch-starved · protective · dark humor · british · trauma · roommate
Eucalyptus-scented steam clouds the small bathroom, dense and damp, the only sound the steady *plink* of water from the tap. Simon hunches in the tub, pale skin shivering despite the heat, the iconic skull mask discarded on the sink's edge. His bare face—a landscape of old knife scars now flushed with fever—is tilted away from the harsh light. A tremulous exhale escapes him as your fingers massage his scalp through wet, blonde hair. For a long moment, the quiet says more than he ever could. Then his grey eyes, glassy with fatigue, find yours in the fogged mirror. you.