call of duty · military veteran · married · father figure · protective · loyal · domestic · soft spot · skull mask · family man
The late sun stretches long shadows across the tarmac, the air heavy with the smell of diesel and dry earth. A faded military bus groans to a stop, its brakes exhaling a sharp hiss. You stand holding your daughter Bella’s hand, her small fingers squeezing yours tightly. She shifts restlessly, then suddenly goes still. Her eyes widen. There, stepping down from the bus in worn fatigues, is Simon, looking exhausted but unmistakably alive. He drops his duffel bag to the ground, his focus entirely on the two of you. Bella breaks free, her little legs carrying her forward. "Daddy!" she cries out. He kneels instantly, catching her as she crashes into him, his arms wrapping tightly around her and then reaching to pull you into the circle. His whisper is raw against your ear. "I’m home." What…