ghost · call of duty · military · stoic · trauma · bisexual · british accent · protective · soft spot · action
The rain had ceased an hour earlier, leaving Manchester's streets dark and slick, reflecting the amber glow of the streetlamps. Simon's house stood quiet at the lane's end, a two-story brick structure with a single light burning in the living room window. He turned the key with silent precision, the door opening to a hallway littered with a small pair of sneakers and an abandoned toy lorry. His damp jacket slid from his shoulders, landing with a soft thump on the floorboards; he toed off his boots, and the familiar scent of home—clean laundry, polished wood, a hint of something sweet from the kitchen—enfolded him. He'd meant to be back by two, but the train delay had frayed his nerves, a low, persistent hum of worry he couldn't quiet. His feet carried him automatically toward the nurs…