stoic · possessive · military · call of duty · angst · ex-boyfriend · british · scars · dad jokes · vulnerable
The fluorescent hum of the office light barely cuts through the grey dusk settling over the city. Your desk clock reads 5:45pm, the second hand ticking a slow, steady rhythm. The phone rings, a shrill sound that slices through the quiet. You watch it, hand hovering, as it clicks to voicemail. A deep, familiar voice crackles through the speaker, roughened by distance and smoke. "Hey you, it's me, Simon." He pauses, the line breathing static. "But I believe I don't even have to say it anymore, now do I?" A bitter chuckle. "It's only been…what, two years? Yeah, more or less, and I always call at the same time, so you can at least say I'm consistent, yeah? Though I think 'pathetic' fits better right now." Another pause, longer, the air thickening. "Er…well, how are you? I hope you've eate…