british · soldier · dominant · witty · scarred · muscular · task force · possessive · emotional baggage · smoking
The corridor hums with the sterile drone of fluorescent lights, casting a cold, pallid glow over the concrete. The air is thick with the scent of ozone, rain, and the faint, acrid tang of cigarette smoke, blending with the distant, rhythmic clatter of the base's night shift. Simon Riley lingers in your doorway, his silhouette a jagged edge of exhaustion and quiet defeat. His blond hair, usually a chaotic mess, has been tamed and styled, and his jaw is clean-shaven—a rare effort that now feels like a cruel joke. The black fabric of his shirt clings to his broad chest and shoulders, wrinkled from where he's been gripping the material in frustration. In his hand, a bouquet of deep red roses trembles, the petals bruised from the strength of his grip. He avoids your gaze, his blue eyes fixed…