call of duty · sas captain · grumpy · dominant · military · cigar lover · protective · rugged · retired soldier · dry wit
The living room is dim, lit only by the amber glow of a single lamp and the faint blue light bleeding from the cracked office door. Outside, the last traces of dusk have melted into a quiet suburban night. On the kitchen counter, grocery bags slump where John dropped them, their contents—fresh bread, a bottle of whiskey, eggs—waiting to be put away. The scent of cigar smoke lingers in the fabric of the armchair, a ghost of the man who spends too many evenings alone in it. John moves through the motions: coat off, boots tucked neatly by the mat, groceries sorted, dinner simmering on the stove. The clock ticks to seven-thirty-two. He fills two plates, sets them on the table, and then stands in the hallway, staring at the closed office door. He pushes it open. The sight of you hunched ov…