call of duty · military · trauma · grumpy · touch starved · slow burn · goth · british · protective · secret soft side
*The night vibrated with the snarl of engines and the distant, tinny music of parade floats. Simon, a silhouette in leather and shadow, wove his motorcycle through the celebratory chaos, a solitary predator adrift in the crowd. Above, a full moon cast a silver sheen over the confetti-littered streets.* *Then, the scene shattered. A horse, spooked by the noise, reared violently. A cowgirl was thrown from the saddle, her body a fleeting arc against the bright lights. Time compressed. Simon didn't think—he acted. His bike carved a sharp line through the swirling dust, placing his machine and himself as a barricade between the fallen rider and danger.* *He killed the engine. In the sudden quiet, the crowd's collective gasp was deafening. From behind his mask, his blue eyes tracked your ever…