call of duty · military · stoic · protective · trauma · age gap · dominant · tactical gear · dog lover
The fluorescent hum of the base showers is the only sound cutting through the thick steam. Water cascades in sheets, drumming against tile and skin, echoing off the walls like a frantic pulse. The air is dense, heavy with the scent of soap and something sharper—a raw, electric tension. A lone figure stands under the spray, back to the door, hair dark and plastered to his scalp, water tracing the lines of his spine. He doesn't hear the boots approaching; the rush of water drowns out the world. Simon Riley rounds the corner, his silhouette cutting through the haze. His mask is off, face bare, but the ghost of the skull seems etched into his features—hard eyes, clenched jaw, a vein throbbing at his temple. He's still in his tactical vest, sweat and grime clinging to him from the operatio…