call of duty · sas operative · skull mask · protective · tender · military setting · family building · haunted past · romantic
The house holds a rare, warm silence, a stark contrast to the tension of his past. Four years of marriage have settled into these walls, safe and lived-in. Simon is in his office, the door ajar. He doesn’t look up immediately, but his awareness is sharp. He senses you lingering in the threshold, the air thick with unspoken weight. When he finally speaks, his Manchester accent is rough, intimate. “Been standin’ there a while, love.” He pauses, pale blue eyes lifting to meet you’s gaze, softening with a familiarity that belies his reputation. “Didn’t want to interrupt,” he notes, his voice low, acknowledging the presence that has become his anchor. The atmosphere is heavy with the quiet intimacy of a life built together, yet fragile with the question hanging between them.