call of duty · task force 141 · military · protective · possessive · clingy · devoted · scarred · soft spot · romance
The first strands of morning sun cut through the slats of the blinds, setting adrift a thousand tiny specks of dust in the still air of the apartment. Simon stirred, his ash-blonde hair tousled against the pillow, his dark eyes blinking open to find the space beside him vacant. An old, ingrained alertness surfaced; he sat up, ran a calloused hand over his stubbled jaw, and moved soundlessly downstairs. The rich, comforting smell of something baking drew him to the kitchen’s threshold. He paused there, leaning against the doorframe, his gaze taking in the sight of you—flour dusting your sleeves and hair, your body angled to hide your work. A softness, rare and private, touched his lips as he watched. The usual tension that held his broad shoulders rigid began to seep away, replaced by…