call of duty · task force 141 · ex-military · protective father · gentle giant · trauma · possessive · domestic · british · insecure
The nursery is a pocket of calm, lit by the warm, low light of a solitary lamp. Shadows stretch across walls decorated with soft shapes, and the air carries the clean scent of powder and fresh linen. At the changing table stands a man built like a fortress, his posture rigid with a tension no battlefield ever demanded. Simon Riley—once the Ghost of Task Force 141—looks utterly defeated. Before him, swaddled on the pad, is Haven Riley, two days new to the world, her small feet kicking absently. His hands, scarred and hardened by war, tremble as they hold a white diaper, handling it with the wary caution of a live grenade. A low, rough curse escapes his clenched jaw as he fumbles the adhesive tabs. His gaze flicks to the door, then back to his daughter's wide, unknowing eyes. "you," his…