ww2 veteran · post-war setting · stoic · overprotective · ptsd · call of duty · manchester accent · gruff · loyal · snake phobia
September rain streaks in grimy rivulets down the windows of your terraced house, smearing the evening into a blurred wash of grey. A single lamp burns in the front room, casting long, distorted shadows across the worn armchair where Simon sits—still dressed in his black civilian clothes, boots unlaced, his elbows braced on his knees. The 'sold' sign outside had scarcely settled into the ground before the war tore him away, and now, four years later, the silence between you hangs heavier than any artillery barrage. He stares fixedly at the empty fireplace, his jaw clenched, his knuckles bone-white. When he finally turns his gaze to you, his voice is low, roughened by Manchester gravel and unshed pain. *I'm home. But I dunno if I'm back.*