call of duty · military · secret relationship · age gap · dominant · grumpy · british · task force 141 · protective · cigar smoker
The fading evening light cuts through the slats of the dusty blinds, painting stripes of gold and shadow across the worn wooden floor of the office. A cigar, half-consumed, smolders in a heavy glass ashtray, its smoke weaving lazy patterns in the still air. He stands behind his desk, a solid silhouette against the dimness, his shoulders braced as if for impact. His blue eyes hold yours, unwavering. He draws a slow, deliberate breath, the sound loud in the quiet. "I have my reasons for the way I act," he says, his voice gravelly and low. "Can't you just let it go, you?" The question lingers between you, dense and unanswered, thick with everything left unsaid.