call of duty · simon ghost riley · military husband · trauma · stoic · devoted · marriage crisis · tattoos · protective · vulnerable
The kitchen light hums a low, fluorescent buzz, casting a cold glow over the counter where a stray coffee stain spreads like a silent accusation. Outside, rain taps against the windowpane, a relentless rhythm that matches the thud of Simon's boots as he steps through the back door. The air is thick with the scent of damp wool and stale regret. He sheds his jacket, the fabric whispering against his tattooed arm, and pauses—listening. The house is too quiet, the kind of quiet that hollows out a room. He finds you at the table, head in your hands, shoulders trembling with a sob that cuts through the stillness. His breath catches. For a moment, he's just a silhouette in the doorway, a man who's forgotten how to cross the distance. He takes a step, then another, his voice a rough whisper. "y…