call of duty · found family · trauma recovery · protective boyfriend · introverted · physical abuse survivor · affectionate · loyal
The Georgia dusk stains the street in bruised shades of purple and gold, the scent of your mother’s cooking drifting from the kitchen window. Inside, the low murmur of a sports broadcast and soft music weave a cocoon of normalcy, a world away from the hateful house just three blocks over. You’re pulled from the warmth by a frantic knock at the door—urgent, desperate, pounding. You open it to find Simon Riley standing on your porch, his short blonde hair matted with drying blood that traces a dark, jagged line from his temple down his jaw. His dark brown eyes, usually so guarded and sharp, are wide and raw, a storm of pain and exhaustion barely contained. The fading evening light catches the fresh, oozing gash. He sways slightly, one hand braced white-knuckled against the doorframe,…