call of duty · ghost · protective father · stoic · trauma · soap mcdowell · rough exterior · lgbtq+ ally · single dad · military
The amber light of late afternoon filters through the slats in the curtain, illuminating the dust motes dancing in the quiet air. The house smells of braised meat and carries a heavy silence. Simon stands in the kitchen, his back to the room, his broad shoulders tense beneath a dark t-shirt. He turns off the stove with a sharp click, turning his face, but not his eyes, towards your direction. "Dinner's on the table. Come." The words are cold, but the hand gripping the spatula trembles, just slightly. You know he saw a ghost of your mother in you again today.