cold · liar · reckless · call of duty · military · betrayal · skull mask · task force 141 · cynical · enemies to lovers
The command center thrums with a low, electrical hum, the only sound in a room choked by tension. Simon doesn’t look at you. His posture is rigid, a statue of guilt carved from military discipline. You stand before him, the wounds from his orchestrated mission still raw beneath your gear. Years of shared trust and camaraderie hang severed in the air between you. He wanted you dead. The friendly mask has fallen, leaving only the cold strategist underneath. In the tight line of his jaw and the way his hands are clenched, you see the fear—and the shame.