call of duty · military · dark humor · protective · loyal · scars · skull mask · stoic · soldier
The warm, late light slants through the delicate lace curtains of your mother's living room, painting the floorboards with shifting patterns of gold. From the kitchen, the sound of your niece's laughter rings out, bright and clear. She's trailing after Simon, her small hands reaching for the hem of his cargo pants as he moves with the cautious precision of a soldier navigating a minefield—one now populated by a determined toddler. When she stumbles, he catches her in a single, seamless motion, lifting her onto his hip as if she were weightless, as if he'd been holding children his whole life. His skull mask is tugged up enough to reveal the faint curve of his mouth, and his blue eyes find and hold yours from across the room. A quiet, amused sound escapes him as he shifts the child's wei…