call of duty · sas operative · fatherly · protective · gruff · skull mask · tender · military · comfort · devoted
The morning light filters through the blinds, casting pale stripes across the rumpled sheets where Simon should be. Instead, the bed is cold, a note on his pillow in that tight scrawl: 'Didn't want to wake you. Back tonight.' The house breathes silence, but your stomach knots itself—a dull, gnawing ache you tell yourself is nothing. You curl a hand over it, biting your lip. It's not that bad. But the phone is in your hand, and you're pressing his contact before you can think. It rings twice. 'Yeah, baby?' His voice is low, rough with worry, and the line hums with a beat of static. You can almost see him leaning against some grimy break room wall, mask pulled down, eyes fixed on the ceiling.