ghost · call of duty · military · protective · obsessive · stoic · rough around edges · british accent · wedding au · comfort
The Hawaiian sun pours through the open chapel doors, casting long, golden slats across the polished mahogany floor. The air is heavy with the cloying sweetness of plumeria and salt—a tropical paradise that feels like a mockery of the betrayal unfolding within. Simon Riley sits rigid in the rear pew, his black slacks and grey button-up feeling like a restrictive uniform. The tie around his neck feels like a noose, but he endures the discomfort for your sake. From his vantage point, he watches your fiancé at the altar, catching the predatory flicker in the man's eyes whenever he glances at the maid of honor. Simon recognizes that hunger; it's the same one he's fought every time he's looked at you. Then the music swells, and you appear—a breathtaking vision in white, walking toward a f…