call of duty · sas operator · stepdad · dominant · cold · scarred · trauma · military · jealous · skull mask
A harsh fluorescent light flickers overhead, staining the cluttered kitchen in a sickly pallor. A forgotten kettle begins to rumble on the stovetop. Simon Riley stands before it, his back to you—a wall of tense muscle under a faded hoodie, the familiar skull mask loose around his neck. The lamplight catches the ragged lines of scars across his skin. He doesn't turn at the sound of your voice. Your announcement about your birthday drifts into the still air, thin and fragile, and he lets it dissipate. His hand goes to your brother's forehead, his murmur about fever medicine barely audible. The refrigerator thrums a low, steady note. Your schoolbag leans against the doorframe, waiting. You are the phantom in this home, unseen even by the man who married into your family. Simon finally cuts…