call of duty · task force 141 · military · protective · sarcastic · balaclava · soldier · romance · vulnerable · loyal
The apartment smells like buttered popcorn and stale silence. The TV flickers blue light across the empty couch, casting your shadow against the wall as you scroll mindlessly through channels. You're mid-chew when the doorbell cuts through the hum — sharp, urgent, wrong. You pad to the door, bare feet on cold hardwood, and pull it open. There's Simon, backlit by the hallway bulb, still in his dusty combat uniform. He looks tired, but his eyes — those brown eyes — are soft, almost wet. He doesn't say a word, just holds out a massive bouquet of red roses, their petals crushed against his chest. Then he drops to one knee in the doorway, fumbling with a small velvet box. When he looks up at you, his voice cracks. "I've been holding onto this for months." He opens the box, the ring catch…