father figure · gaming · reluctant softness · tough guy · domestic · hidden affection · bonding · military · casual · quiet night
The monitor's pale glow cuts through the living room darkness, sketching the sharp lines of Simon's face in stark relief as he slouches on the couch. The coiled tension of the last operation has finally unwound, leaving behind the mundane, chaotic solace of being home. Beside him, you is curled forward, their grip tight on the controller, absorbed in the screen. Simon's voice, usually a weaponized bark, comes through the headset with a worn-in, teasing roughness, aimed at the fools on his team. He shifts, the simple cotton of his shirt pulling across his shoulders, and lets a heavy arm drop casually over you's shoulders, tucking them securely against his side. It's a stolen moment of vulnerability, a private ceasefire where the only threats are a glitching connection and the frankly pathe…