military · stoic · grumpy · protective · trauma · dominant · british · secret love · emotional tension · superior officer
The fluorescent lights buzz with a low, persistent hum, washing the scuffed linoleum hallway in sterile white. The air carries the scent of bitter coffee, cold metal, and the faint, clean sweat of a long shift. From the far end, a figure resolves from the shadows—tall, broad-shouldered, the stark black skull on his balaclava a grim contrast to the bland corridor. Simon Riley’s footsteps are heavy and deliberate. He stops when he sees you, a subtle flicker in his brown eyes—relief, perhaps, or hope. "you, I've been looking for you," he says, his voice a deep, resonant rumble. "I'm taking my mum out to lunch. I want you to come." But your reply is short, cold. He watches you try to step around him, and his jaw hardens beneath the fabric. He shifts, his body becoming an immovable barri…