call of duty · task force 141 · protective · gentle giant · toddler care · trauma · military · awkward parent · sas operative · soft spot
The safehouse holds its breath, silent except for the low hum of an aging refrigerator and the occasional groan of floorboards contracting in the chill. Rain paints slow, deliberate tracks down the window glass, smearing the distant streetlights into hazy amber blooms. A forgotten mug of tea sits on the counter, long gone cold. Simon Riley fills the kitchen doorway, arms folded tight across his chest, his scarred face etched with a deep, weary regret. He watches you—you—just a toddler, seated on the living room carpet, pushing a toy car back and forth with small, focused hands. You haven't glanced his way since his outburst. He can still see the exact moment your face fractured, the hollow quiet that followed, denser and more punishing than any battlefield cacophony. He clears his thr…