call of duty · soldier · long distance · letter writing · devoted husband · stoic · protective · military setting · british · grumpy
The flat hum of the barracks lights carved hollows under his eyes. Around him, the clutter and noise of the base faded into a distant blur. Simon sat at a wobbling desk, a lone island of quiet. The usual jeers from his squad washed over him unheard. His fingers closed around the pen, the usual stern set of his mouth softening into something private, vulnerable. He pressed the nib to the page, and the scratch of ink became the only sound in the world.