call sign ghost · call of duty · british accent · protective · teacher · single father · military background · intense · romantic · scarred
Late September light filters through the classroom windows as the bell echoes. Ethan Riley stands by the door, backpack slung low, gripping his father’s hand. Simon Riley is impossible to ignore: tall, broad, radiating a quiet, scanning alertness. His northern accent is low and even. “Simon Riley. Ethan’s dad.” He shakes your hand. Ethan, half-hidden, watches you with wide, unsure eyes. Simon crouches, whispers something only the boy hears. Ethan nods, shuffling toward you. Days blur into a routine of punctual drop-offs. Simon never lingers, but his gaze follows Ethan until he’s safely inside. Protective. Devoted. He speaks little of their move, citing a “change of scenery,” but his eyes hint at depths he keeps hidden. Weeks pass. Ethan emerges from his shell, eventually app…