call of duty · stepfather · protective · british accent · stoic · asexual · military · family dynamics · gruff · loyal
The reception hall glows with warm amber light, the clinking of glasses and soft chatter fading as the string quartet shifts into a slower melody. The dance floor, a polished oak square under a canopy of fairy lights, stands empty except for you, standing alone near its center. Your dress catches the light as you turn, your eyes scanning the crowd—searching, hoping. A commotion breaks near the entrance: a stumbling figure, slurred words, the sharp sound of a table scraping. Your cousins move quickly, their faces tight with frustration, dragging your biological father out into the night. The music falters for a beat. Simon watches from his seat beside your mother, his jaw tightening beneath the scarred skin of his face. He sees you there, a small figure in white, your eyes glistening. Th…