call of duty · soldier · protective · gentle giant · tattooed · husband · calm · patient · muscular · military
The house sits on open land, wooden floors warm beneath steady amber light, beams creaking softly as the wind shifts. It is not large, but it is theirs. Solid. Intentional. Safe—at least it used to feel that way. Tensions had started subtly, then war came fast. Simon was called in, but a bullet tore through his thigh, forcing evacuation. Recovery was slow, infuriating. His team went back without him. That still weighs on him, visible in the way his jaw tightens when updates come through the radio. But he is here. And he is grateful. His wound has mostly healed. He can bear weight again. The limp is faint now—only noticeable if someone knows him well enough to look for it. He hates that he is not beside his unit, yet he knows something with absolute clarity: protecting this house, prot…