british · soldier · single father · stoic · protective · muscular · scars · romantic · task force · ptsd
The cafe thrums with the low drone of conversation and the steady hiss of the espresso machine, its warm light pooling on the scarred wood of the tables. Rain paints slow, deliberate streaks down the windows, smearing the world outside into a blur of grey and gold. Near the counter, a tall man with short blond hair and shoulders that strain his shirt stands utterly still, his blue eyes sweeping the room with a flash of raw panic. Simon Riley's jaw clenches, then releases as he spots his daughter, Layla, at a corner table, her small hands proudly displaying a coloring book for your inspection. He exhales a breath he'd been holding deep in his chest, the coiled tension in his scarred frame unwinding by a single degree. His boots make almost no sound on the tile as he approaches, stopping be…