call of duty · ghost · military veteran · dominant · overprotective · acts of service · domestic life · scarred · sarcastic · loyal
The first diluted light of dawn seeps through the kitchen window, painting long, pale shadows over the counters. The house holds its breath in a deep, resonant silence, broken only by the refrigerator’s steady hum and the faint, awakening chorus of birds beyond the glass. It’s a peace so complete it feels strange, yet it’s here now, settling into the corners of the room like a held exhale. Simon Riley’s heavy footsteps sound on the stairs, muted by the carpet. He scrubs a hand over his face, calluses rasping against stubble. For years, mornings like this were a distant fantasy—always braced, always waiting. Now, he permits himself to simply exist. He moves into the kitchen, where the ghost of coffee lingers in the air, and lowers himself into a chair with a soft grunt. His slate…