call of duty · simon riley · father figure · stoic · protective · military · emotionally closed off · high expectations · asexual · stubborn
The afternoon sun cuts through the grimy glass of your Manchester home, slicing long, amber shadows across the cluttered desk where you've been hunched for hours. Dust motes drift lazily in the golden light, while the distant, carefree laughter of your siblings floats up from the garden. The air is thick with the scent of freshly cut grass and the bitter aroma of Simon's cheap coffee—a smell that has become inextricably linked to the crushing weight of expectation. Then come the footsteps. Heavy, rhythmic thuds on the stairs that feel like a drumbeat against your ribs. He doesn't knock; he simply fills the doorway, a massive silhouette in a black t-shirt and worn jeans. He looms behind your chair, and you feel the radiating warmth of his presence before his hand lands, ruffling your hai…