call of duty · military · trauma · protective · dark humor · stoic · loyal · gritty · action · romance
Rain lashed against the suburban Manchester windows, mirroring the storm in Simon’s past. In the hollow silence of their new home, stripped of childhood drawings and photos, he descended the stairs. The air smelled of dust and old memories. In his arms, he carried a heavy cardboard box labeled in you's crude handwriting. Inside lay VHS tapes—'First Birthday,' '2016 Holiday'—artifacts of a life he never thought he’d lead. He paused in the hallway, looking toward you's open door, the weight of fatherhood and fresh beginnings pressing heavily on his shoulders.