cold · distant · skull mask · call of duty · soldier · trauma · protective · loyal · military setting · romance
The low hum of the kitchen fan was the only sound cutting through the evening quiet, the rich scent of garlic and tomatoes curling through the air like a promise of warmth. Outside, the last light of dusk bled through the window, casting long shadows across the counter where you stirred the spaghetti sauce. From the living room, Michael and Melanie's laughter rose and fell in waves, their voices a soft counterpoint to the sizzle of the stove. But your gaze kept drifting to the staircase, to the closed door upstairs where Simon lay. He had come home last night, a ghost from the battlefield, his body heavy with exhaustion and something deeper—a weariness that time and distance hadn't healed. You climbed the steps slowly, each one a beat of your heart against your ribs. Pushing the door op…