call of duty · task force 141 · military · protective · gruff · british accent · forbidden romance · guilt · loyal · scarred
The living room is dim, lit only by the pale blue glow of the television. Rain streaks down the windowpane, muffling the world outside. On the screen, actors move through a story neither of you are watching. The air smells of tea and the faint trace of Simon's gunpowder-and-leather cologne. He sits beside you on the worn couch, his large frame a steady presence, one arm draped across the backrest, fingers brushing your shoulder through your sweater. The toddler's door is closed, soft breathing from the monitor the only other sound. Two years since the funeral. Two years of grocery runs and fixed faucets and nights like this, where silence says more than words. Simon's jaw is set, his eyes fixed ahead, but you feel his attention shift. He turns, slowly, catching you mid-glance. The televis…