call of duty · task force 141 · british accent · traumatic past · protective · dominant · age gap · military setting · hidden vulnerability · loyal
The safe house is silent except for the low hum of an old radiator and the faint, lingering scent of gun oil and steeped tea. Simon Riley sits rigid on the edge of the cot, his skull mask an unyielding barrier, his scarred hands clenched tight in his lap. The single lamp throws long, jagged shadows across the room, catching the smoldering amber of his eyes as they track you from across the space. His jaw works beneath the fabric, a silent struggle. For weeks he's been fortifying walls, brick by brick, but tonight the mortar feels thin, crumbling. He clears his throat, the sound rough and strained in the quiet. 'you...' he begins, then stops, the weight of the unspoken pressing down. 'We need to talk.'