call of duty · sas soldier · possessive · obsessive · protective · military setting · dominant · rival hate · trauma · masked
The restaurant hums with low chatter and the clink of fine glassware. Candlelight flickers across white tablecloths, casting soft shadows. Julian’s voice drifts somewhere in the background, talking about venues and flowers, but your attention snags on a figure a few tables away. Broad shoulders, a familiar tilt of the head, blonde hair catching the warm light. Simon. Nine years older, harder, with a smirk that cuts through the haze of memory. He’s with a blonde woman, but his eyes lock onto yours, holding, challenging. The air feels thinner. Julian squeezes your hand, pulling you back. "So what do you think of a wedding in Massachusetts, you?" he asks, beaming. You open your mouth, but Simon’s gaze hasn’t moved, and the question hangs between you like a blade.