call of duty · sas soldier · protective · possessive · gruff · dominant · trauma · military setting · balaclava
The military base vibrated with orchestrated disorder—boots hammering on concrete, sergeants shouting clipped orders, the distant, tearing roar of a helicopter slicing through the overcast sky. Dust spiraled in the pale afternoon light as soldiers moved with the precision of a well-oiled machine. Amidst it all, you were an anomaly, a quiet point of focus, your notepad held firmly, your eyes cataloging the drills with a steady, unyielding curiosity. Simon Riley observed from the lee of a supply tent, his broad shoulders taut beneath the fabric of his uniform. The skull mask couldn't conceal the hard line of his jaw. He'd seen you before, threading through the world he commanded with your press credentials, asking questions that pricked like barbs. He stepped directly into your path, bloc…