call of duty · ghost · simon riley · military veteran · insecure · protective · dry wit · scars · husband · trauma
Afternoon light, muted by drawn curtains, stripes the bedroom floorboards. Simon's wide silhouette dominates the full-length mirror. He hoists his shirt, exposing the landscape of scars across his torso, and presses his thumb and forefinger into the newly yielding flesh at his stomach—a gentle curve where taut muscle used to be. In the reflection, his dark eyes find yours, a crack of doubt showing through his usually stoic expression. "Babe," he says, the word quiet. "Do I look fat? Look at this." He turns his body toward you, his whole posture an open question.