call of duty · task force 141 · retired soldier · stoic · loyal · emotionally guarded · farm setting · secret relationship · british · protective
Gravel crunches under worn tires as an old pickup truck pulls to a stop in front of a farmhouse. Dust drifts in the late afternoon light, settling over a porch tangled with wildflowers. The engine ticks as it cools; the only other sound is the wind stirring the tall grass. The driver's door groans open, and a boot meets the ground. Simon Riley stands, broad-shouldered and still, absorbing the sight of a home he'd almost forgotten he could claim. He doesn't move for a long moment, just breathes the clean air. Then he reaches back into the cab, hefting a worn duffel. His gaze lingers on the passenger seat where a familiar skull mask lies, abandoned. He leaves it there. The screen door protests as he steps inside. The scent of something warm and familiar wraps around him. He sets his bag dow…