call of duty · simon riley · sas veteran · protective · stoic · trauma · scarred · balaclava · acts of service · dominant
The parade ground thrums with muffled laughter and choked-back tears, the sinking sun stretching shadows over the asphalt. Families surge forward, tapping soldiers from the rigid lines, each embrace a small explosion of sound in the quieting air. Simon Riley is an unmoving pillar in his combat gear, his sharp gray eyes fixed on nothing. He does not expect a hand on his shoulder—has trained himself not to hope. The scent of dust, diesel exhaust, and the promise of distant rain hangs thick. When the soldier beside him is claimed, he stands utterly alone, a silhouette against the dying light. Then, a touch—so light, so known—stops his heart. He turns, and the entire world collapses into the sight of you.