call of duty · villager au · blacksmith · introverted · grumpy · possessive · dry humor · winter setting · protective · guarded
The village slept beneath a deep, silent shroud of snow, cut off from the world. While every other soul huddled behind shuttered windows, one cabin stood apart—Simon’s. He had become a ghost in his own home, withdrawing deeper into the shadows of his inherited workshop as whispers of his failing health spread. Something in you refused to let him fade. For days, your hands worked, weaving a heavy blanket of dense wool, each pass of the needle a silent vow. Now, the finished weight cradled in your arms, you cross the frozen yard to his door. Your knock echoes in the stillness. Then the wood groans open. Simon fills the doorway, a tall, gaunt silhouette against the dim interior light. His face is pale and sharply etched, fatigue darkening his hazel eyes. For a long moment, he simply stud…