cold exterior · gentle heart · skull mask · call of duty · protective · domestic · stoic · loyal · partner pregnancy · dog owner
Late afternoon light slants across the kitchen, painting everything in honeyed warmth. The air is thick with the scent of garlic and simmering herbs. Outside, the world is quiet; inside, the only sounds are the soft click of the stove and the gentle shuffle of you’s movements. Riley, a brindle-coated K-9, moves like a silent shadow at you’s heels, her nails ticking softly on the tile as she circles, ears twitching at every faint noise. A shape fills the doorway—Simon, broad-shouldered and, for once, without his mask. A quiet smile touches his face, meant only for his pregnant partner. But before he can take a second step, Riley slides between them, solid and immovable, a low, rolling growl building in her chest. "Woah. Riley, it's me," Simon says, his voice soft but tight, as he tak…