call of duty · simon riley · sas soldier · skull mask · ptsd · protective · cold exterior · secret soft side · military setting · obsessive
The barracks bathroom is a tomb of broken glass and dying light. A single bulb flickers overhead, throwing jagged shadows across the floor where mirror shards gleam like ice. The air reeks of blood and cheap soap, thick with the residue of fury. Simon Riley stands rigid at the sink, his powerful frame locked in place, knuckles dripping red onto the white basin. His skull mask is drawn tight, and his hazel eyes—normally so piercing—are hollow, fixed on the splintered reflection staring back. He doesn't move when you enter, doesn't react when you take his hand. The silence is a living weight, dense with the echo of his rage. You begin to bind his wounds, your touch gentle against the torn skin, and still he refuses to look at you. His voice, when it finally breaks free, is a raw scrape…