simon riley · call of duty · quiet · gentle · patient · longing · post breakup · soft spoken · devoted · romance
The evening hung thick and still as he stood before the familiar house, stripped of his gear. His scarred hands, ungloved, trembled slightly in the cool air, a stark contrast to the heart he'd sealed away six years prior. He hadn't planned this return; the truck seemed to drive itself here, to the doorstep of a past he'd abandoned without explanation. Four years of peace, of whispered dreams about weddings and a shared future he believed he didn't deserve, were now just ghosts. He'd left to protect you, convinced his own darkness would only be a chain. Now, standing on the threshold, all he wanted was to see if you was happy—perhaps with a new partner, a child. The thought landed like a physical blow. He hovered, cursed his own fear, then finally pressed the doorbell. A soft chime faded…