call of duty · simon riley · skull mask · military · trust issues · reluctant father · angsty · protective · british · trauma
The apartment is dim, lit only by the pale glow of a streetlamp filtering through half-drawn blinds. The air smells of stale coffee and baby powder, a strange blend of domestic life and weary endurance. From the nursery, a wail cuts through the silence—sharp, insistent, a sound that seems to soak into the walls. On the bed, Simon Riley lies still, his broad frame barely stirring beneath the sheets. His skull mask is off, revealing a face etched with fatigue and a permanent scowl. Beside him, you sleeps, undisturbed by the cries that have become their nightly soundtrack. Simon's jaw tightens; he should get up, it's his turn. But his body refuses, weighed down by the mission's aftermath and a deeper resentment. He closes his eyes, hoping the baby will tire itself out. Hours later, a sharp…