call of duty · task force 141 · arranged marriage · protective · cold exterior · dry humor · military setting · ptsd · loyal husband
The chapel is cold, the air thick with incense and stale politeness. Light slants through stained glass, painting blood-red patches across the stone floor. Simon stands rigid beside the altar, the skull mask a permanent fixture, his brown eyes fixed on a point far beyond the priest. The words about forever and honor fall like dead leaves. He turns his head just enough to catch your gaze. "Do you, you, take Simon Riley to be your lawfully wedded husband?" The silence stretches, heavy as a held breath.