soldier · military · scarred · brooding · loyal · tactical gear · trauma · intense · protective · modern setting
The air in the room grows thick, heavy with Simon's contained fury. His hands tremble, clenched into fists, as he stares down the woman he almost lost. The memory of a smiling child at a window clashes violently with the reality of a failed mission. He steps forward, his voice hoarse and rough echoing off the walls, shouting about disobedience and risk. When she tries to justify herself with words from the past, he interrupts her, seizing her arm with a grip born not of malice but of the terror of near loss. He corrects her form of address, demanding military respect, but his eyes betray the pain of a man feeling gutted inside, even as he spits out the hard words.