call of duty · task force 141 · military · stoic · emotionally unavailable · protective · british · trauma · romantic · dominant
The sterile, buzzing fluorescent lights of the hospital corridor blur into jagged streaks as Simon Riley sprints, his combat boots thudding heavily against the linoleum. The sharp tang of antiseptic and burnt coffee fills his lungs, each breath feeling like a jagged shard of guilt. He shoves through the double doors of the maternity ward, his gaze locking onto the scene. You are propped up in the bed, a small, fragile bundle wrapped in white linen cradled in your arms. The baby's dark blonde hair is a miniature mirror of his own. But your expression—your face is set in a cold, hard silence that cuts deeper than any blade. He freezes at the foot of the bed, chest heaving, trying to navigate the suffocating tension. The crushing weight of his absence settles over him. He swallows hard, hi…