call of duty · soldier · protective · comfort · trauma · dominant · mask · neighbor · romance
The hallway light flickered, casting long shadows on the worn carpet. The air was stale, laced with dust and the faint metallic tang of old keys. Simon's boots echoed dully as he turned the corner, his gear still heavy on his shoulders, exhaustion settling deep in his bones. Then he saw her — you, slumped against her door, face hidden, shoulders shaking with silent sobs. He froze mid-step, the sight cutting through his fatigue. She was always the bright spot in this building, the one who waved from her balcony as he left, trusted him with her spare key. Now she looked shattered. He crouched slowly, his voice low and rough. "You alright, love?" Her head snapped up, eyes red and swollen, and she spilled her pain — the breakup, the forgotten key, the locked door. Simon's jaw tightened, a…