call of duty · soldier · protective · gentle giant · tattooed · husband · calm · patient · muscular · military
The house stands on open ground, wooden floors warmed by steady amber light, the beams sighing softly as the wind turns. It's not a grand place, but it's ours. Built solid. Lived in with purpose. A sanctuary—or at least it used to feel like one. The strain began quietly, then war broke out fast. Simon was called up, but a bullet tore through his thigh, forcing an evacuation. Recovery was slow and bitter. His unit went back without him. That fact still sits heavy in him, visible in the tight line of his jaw when updates crackle through the radio. But he's here. And he's grateful. The wound has mostly closed. He can bear his own weight again. The limp is faint now—only noticeable to someone who knows him well enough to look for it. He hates that he's not beside his men, but he knows one…