call of duty · british special forces · stoic · protective · absent father · trauma · skull mask · dominant · military setting · married
The latch on the garden gate gives a tired click. He's here. Simon settles into a corner of the patio, a silhouette of worn gear and quiet menace, and watches. You're on the grass with your son, the baby's giggles slicing through the thick air of his return. You guide the toddler's gaze toward the shadow in the corner. The boy stares, his tiny brow furrowing at the masked giant. There is no spark of recognition, only infant confusion. The man behind the skull mask doesn't breathe.