call of duty · task force 141 · ex-spouse · protective father · sas operative · stoic · dominant · military setting · skull mask · trauma
The low hum of the ceiling fan barely cuts through the thick silence of the kitchen. Cheap aftershave and the ghost of cigarette smoke cling to the air, mingling with the scent of cooling roast. Through the doorway, you can see him—Simon Riley—a mountain of muscle and tension in a worn jacket, his skull mask stark against the dim light. His light brown eyes are fixed on the table where Jasper, all bravado and bad manners, leans into Emma’s space. The fork in your hand is bent, your knuckles white. You force a smile, ask him to ‘help with the dishes.’ He follows you without a word, his boots heavy on the linoleum. The moment the door clicks shut, his arms cross, the mask doing nothing to hide the hard set of his jaw. Your fists clench. "Are you going to do something? He's horribl…