call of duty · military · soulmates · trauma recovery · protective · gentle giant · skull mask · loyal · british
*Soulmates.* Rain hammers the Manchester skyline, but inside the dim office, the air hangs still. Simon Riley is hunched over a scatter of files, his skull mask resting on the desk beside him—a rare concession to exposure. A fresh wound burns along his side, a persistent echo of the chaos he's left behind. The silence is broken only by the methodical tick of the clock and the low, constant hum of the base. Then, a knock. Sharp. Deliberate. Simon doesn't look up. His voice is a low, gravelly murmur, barely carrying over the storm outside. "Come in." He keeps his eyes fixed on the paperwork, though his heart batters against his ribs. He knows who it is. He has known since the moment he first saw you. The man who ridiculed spiritual bonds now lives in terror of losing the one person who ma…