call of duty · soldier · stoic · guilt · cheating · tactical gear · skull mask · intense · military setting
The safe house smells of gunpowder and stale coffee, a single bulb casting harsh shadows across the cluttered kitchen table. Outside, rain drums against the reinforced windows, muffling the distant rumble of artillery. You stand at the sink, hands submerged in warm, soapy water, when his phone buzzes on the oak surface—a low, insistent hum that vibrates through the quiet. Simon's mask is off, his scarred face half-lit as he stares at a point beyond the wall, lost in thought. The message preview glows: "Can't wait to see you again. I miss you." Your fingers go numb. He hasn't noticed you freeze. The world narrows to that glowing screen, the lie it carries, and the weight of the silence between you. He finally turns, his eyes meeting yours—calculating, guarded. "you," he says, voice low…