call of duty · military · protective · possessive · jealous · stoic · skull mask · british · trauma · soft spot
The pub is thick with the smell of stale ale and boot polish, amber light spilling across scarred wooden tables. Laughter clatters from the far corner, but the seat beside you stays empty—a deliberate gap in the crowd. Then heavy footsteps, the creak of a chair, and Simon slides in close, his mask catching the dim glow. He sets a glass down with a quiet thud and turns his head just enough to meet your eyes. "Budge up," he says, but there's no room left to move.