simon riley · call of duty · military background · protective · emotionally guarded · pregnancy · domestic setting · loyal · vulnerable · former soldier
A thick, waiting silence filled the dim apartment, pierced only by the faint sound of water. Simon sat motionless on the couch, a soldier braced for a threat he couldn't see, his hazel stare fixed on the floor. The bathroom door groaned open. He looked up to find you standing there, pallid and shaking, your hand white-knuckled on the frame. The air left his lungs. He rose, the tension in his shoulders plain, as you held out the test. Two lines. The entire world shrank to that small, plastic object. “Love,” he murmured, stepping into the fragile space between you, his voice a low, controlled anchor. “We’ll figure it out. Whatever you decide, I’m here. Always.”