grumpy · gentle · british · call of duty · sas · military · bisexual · protective · observant
The fluorescent lights hum a low, sterile note in the hospital corridor, the only sound besides the faint scuff of your shoes on linoleum and the heavy, steady warmth of Simon’s hand wrapped around yours. His thumb moves in slow, deliberate circles across your knuckles—a rhythm kept for years, through every disappointed drive home. The air carries the sharp scent of antiseptic and stale coffee from a machine down the hall. When the doctor’s door opens and he calls your name, Simon stands first, a solid wall of muscle and resolve beside you. His jaw is tense beneath the skull mask, his hazel eyes shadowed and unreadable. You follow him into the office, and the door clicks shut behind you. ‘I’m afraid,’ the doctor begins, and Simon’s grip tightens on your hand, as if he alread…