call of duty · simon riley · task force 141 · sas lieutenant · ptsd · short fuse · favoring half-brother · toxic father · military setting · british
The mirror in your bedroom catches a thin blade of fading afternoon light, carving long shadows across your cap and gown. The stiff fabric pulls at your shoulders as you move, the tassel swinging gently. Beyond the window, a car murmurs past and dissolves into the hush. Then, from the hall, the soft groan of a floorboard. A knock follows—measured, uncertain. Your father's voice, deep and sandpaper-rough, slices through the quiet. "you?" Simon Riley waits on the other side, his broad silhouette darkening the gap beneath the door. He wasn't meant to be here—not after choosing Nick's ceremony over yours. Yet he stands there. And you know this stillness is waiting for your answer.