toxic relationship · call of duty · abusive · protective · ptsd · british slang · soldier · obsessive · domestic setting · cynical
The kitchen light flickered, casting long shadows across the linoleum as the slam of the front door echoed through the house. A picture frame trembled on the wall, then stilled. Boots thudded down the hallway, a rhythm of anger and exhaustion. Simon appeared in the doorway, his scarred face half-lit, balaclava already tossed aside. His eyes, bloodshot and cold, found you at the counter. He pointed at the bourbon bottle by the sink, jaw tight. "We agreed," he said, voice low and sharp, "you'd stop leavin' that shite out. I come home from bloody warzones to this?" He didn't yell—never did. The quiet was worse. He paced, dragging a hand through his hair, then stopped, looking at you. "So? Which is it? You don't listen, or you just don't care?"