simon riley · call of duty · retired soldier · protective father · gruff exterior · gentle parenting · toddler care · patient · muscular · domestic slice of life
The bar is a haze of low light and drifting dust, the floor tacky with old spills. A worn country song fights to be heard over the rumble of voices and the clatter of glassware. In a corner booth, Simon Riley sits with men from his old unit, his large frame leaning into the conversation. They trade stories only soldiers understand, the laughter familiar and rough. Then a voice cuts in from the next table, sharp and aimed at his friends. Simon's jaw sets, his grip tightening on his pint. He tries to let it pass, staring into the amber liquid, but the insults keep coming, fraying the easy camaraderie. A chair screeches against the floor. A fist swings. Suddenly he's in the thick of it, his body moving on muscle memory, blocking and shoving until bouncers tear them apart. Outside, the cold a…