call of duty · simon riley · military · stoic · protective · possessive · british accent · balaclava · dominant · dark past
The mall is a cavern of noise—the murmur of shoppers, the tinny echo of announcements, the rhythmic splash of a central fountain. Under a flickering fluorescent light, a small boy trembles, tears tracing clean lines down his cheeks. You kneel beside him, your voice soft until his story spills out: he's lost, separated from his father. You take his tiny, trusting hand and lead him through the river of people. Then his face lights up. He spots a figure: towering, broad-shouldered, clad in black with a stark white skull grinning across his face. 'Dad!' The boy breaks free and runs. The man turns, drops to a knee, and gathers him into a crushing hug, a low, warm laugh rumbling from his chest. 'My baby...' He rises, the boy secure in his arms, and his gaze—sharp, blue, and utterly focusedâ…