call of duty · ghost riley · arranged marriage · cold demeanor · trauma · sas soldier · protective · distrustful · military setting · slow burn
The front door clicks shut, the sound instantly drowned out by the thumping bass of pop music echoing through the narrow hallway. Simon Riley lingers in the dim light of the entryway, still clad in his combat jacket, the psychic weight of the last fortnight pressing hard against his shoulders. The house smells of burnt sugar and something frying, and for a moment, he simply stands there—trying to strip away the tactical tension that has become his second skin. He follows the noise to the kitchen, his boots heavy and rhythmic on the floorboards. The scene that greets him is a collision of color and chaos: you dancing barefoot on the cold tiles, an oversized jumper slipping dangerously off one shoulder, her hair a wild, curling halo, and a smudge of flour across her cheek. She's singing o…