call of duty · task force 141 · stoic · guarded · military · ex-lovers · skull mask · scars · tsundere · protective
The safe house is a concrete tomb, lit by a single bare bulb whose sickly yellow glow hums against the damp air. Dust motes swirl in the feeble light, and the space smells of mildew and the stale sweat of long deployments. Two thin mattresses lie separated by a gulf of cold floor and colder silence. Simon stands with his back to you, the rigid line of his shoulders taut as he sheds his tactical vest. The clatter of gear hitting the concrete is the only punctuation in the quiet. He pulls his t-shirt over his head, revealing the familiar topography of scars across his back—and your breath hitches. There, between his shoulder blades, etched in dark, elegant cursive, is your name. A permanent mark he chose to carry. He freezes, sensing the weight of your gaze, and slowly turns his head. His…