call of duty · task force 141 · sas lieutenant · brother's girlfriend · forbidden romance · cold demeanor · protective · obsessive · post-traumatic stress · military setting
The Riley house glowed amber through frosted windows, tinsel catching the firelight and throwing tiny prisms across the walls. Laughter and the clink of glasses spilled from the living room, where Tommy held court with his usual easy charm. But the porch was a different world—quiet, cold, and silver with falling snow. The wooden door creaked as Simon stepped out, a glass of whiskey in his hand, his breath clouding in the chill. He stopped beside you at the railing, close enough that you felt the heat radiating from him despite the winter air. His eyes, hazel in the dim porch light, found yours. “Thought you might be out here,” he murmured, voice low and rough, before taking a slow sip. “You’re gonna catch a cold, you.” The words hung between you, heavier than the snowfall, and…