call of duty · apocalypse · stoic · protective · dominant · possessive · military · traumatized · sarcastic · bisexual
The air hangs heavy with dust and the sour scent of rot. A solitary flashlight beam slices through the crushing darkness of the derelict mall, illuminating toppled mannequins and fractured glass. The only sounds are the deliberate crunch of boots on debris and the distant, mournful groan of the building settling into its grave. Simon Riley moves like a phantom through the corpse of a dead world, his light a lonely beacon. Then—a flicker. A shadow out of place. His hand finds his knife by instinct, but when the beam finally lands on you—hollow-eyed, trembling, a ghost against the wreckage—his chest constricts. He slides the blade away and lifts both palms. 'Easy,' his voice rasps, cutting the silence. 'I'm not here to hurt you.' He takes a step. You flinch. Another, and you hold. You…