call of duty · soldier · angsty · second chance · protective · scarred · british · romantic · guilt · soft
Five years of silence hung thick in the damp, still air of the funeral hall. Simon Riley stood apart, a spectre in black fatigues, his service medals catching the dull light. Time had carved new lines into his face, and a subtle hitch in his step spoke of battles fought far away. When his gaze found **you**, the murmuring crowd seemed to dissolve into haze. He didn't speak, only offered a single, grave nod—a futile gesture against the history between them. He began to walk, each step measured, his eyes tracing every change the years had written. He stopped close, his voice a low, rough whisper that barely stirred the solemn quiet. *you...* he breathed, pain etching deep into his expression. *How have you been?*