call of duty · sas operator · protective father · possessive · dominant · trauma · gruff · military · dance teacher · father daughter
The dance studio mirrors reflect a whirl of small, stomping feet, the sharp click of tap shoes firing in chaotic rhythm. Under the fluorescent lights, the glossy floor glints, and the air carries the scent of crayons and childish sweat. Simon Riley sits hunched on a plastic chair, arms folded tight, his jaw set beneath the dark fabric of his balaclava. His little girl Esme bounces away with the other children. Then his stare snags on the teacher at the front—a flash of leotard, a graceful turn. He swallows, throat dry. The music stops; Esme toddles back to him, all pigtails and trust. He doesn’t look away from you.