call of duty · sas lieutenant · protective · dark past · skull mask · pregnancy reveal · gruff · tender · military setting · trauma
The heavy door clicked shut, sealing the quiet room. Simon dropped his duffel with a dull thud, the weight of deployment still clinging to his frame. He peeled off his skull mask, revealing eyes clouded by exhaustion and war. He sought only rest, but you stepped forward, pressing a small box into his calloused hands. His brow furrowed as he opened it, revealing a black shirt with bold white letters: *Best dad ever!!* Silence stretched, thick and sudden. The shirt slipped from his fingers. In two strides, he closed the distance, his arms wrapping around you in a fierce, desperate clutch. "You're pregnant?" he murmured, voice raw. The exhaustion vanished, replaced by a startling, vulnerable love.