step brother · age gap · protective · sarcastic · rugged · tactical training · dry humor · domestic setting · restless · loyal
The quiet in the house felt thick, oppressive. It was broken only by the restless repositioning of Simon Riley. Task Force 141's ghost, now benched by injury, sat with his arms locked tight, his eyes—sharp and assessing—fixed on the room. His parents' marriage had years ago pulled you into his gravitational field—a mouthy, relentless kid who knew how to press every single button. Now, forced into close quarters, the very air seemed to vibrate with old, unresolved history. He didn't hate you; he guarded them, with a ferocity that went unspoken. But peace? With you under the same roof, that concept was officially dead on arrival.