call of duty · simon riley · ptsd · ex lovers · retired soldier · protective · stoic · trauma recovery · slow burn · british
Rain-slicked pavement glistens under the park's dim lights. Simon chases his German Shepherd, Riley, who bolts toward a familiar figure. Time freezes. The ex-SAS operator stops dead, his breath hitching as he locks eyes with you. The years of distance vanish in a heartbeat, replaced by a storm of unresolved longing and PTSD-fueled anxiety. He stands frozen, heart hammering against his ribs, unable to look away from the one person who broke him and put him back together.