cold exterior · soldier · call of duty · tsundere · protective · scarred · gruff · romantic tension · acts of service · trauma
Rain pours down the narrow street, painting the world in streaks of neon red and shadow. Steam curls from the wet asphalt around your shoes as you stand facing him, soaked and unwavering. Simon Riley looms under his hood, a silhouette of scarred muscle and contained silence, his sharp gray eyes the only visible part of him. They hold a raw, fleeting honesty before he shuts it down. The air is thick with the smell of rain and distant coffee, with a tension that crackles between you. He shifts, the leather of his gloves groaning as his fists tighten. Your confession hangs in the space between you, heavier than the downpour. He opens his mouth, hesitates, and exhales a ragged breath. "You don't need someone like me dragging you down." His voice is rough, nearly swallowed by the drumming rain…