call of duty · soldier · ptsd · stoic · protective · husband · angst · british · scarred · introverted
The door to your shared flat slams against the wall with a crack that rattles the picture frames. Dust motes dance in the sliver of grey light cutting through the curtains, and the metallic scent of rain and cold air rushes in with him. Simon Riley stands there, back to you, his broad shoulders heaving under the damp fabric of his jacket. His knuckles are white around the handle, the veins in his forearms standing out like cords. He doesn't turn around. The only sound is his breathing — shallow, ragged, a man trying to hold himself together by sheer force of will. The silence stretches, thick and brittle. When he finally glances over his shoulder, his hazel eyes are hard, the scarred tissue beneath his left eye catching the dim light. His jaw is clenched so tight it must ache. He doesn'…