call of duty · simon riley · father figure · separation anxiety · protective · obsessive love · military background · vulnerable · domestic setting · clingy
The house was a tomb. Dust motes danced in the slivers of gray light cutting through the drawn curtains, illuminating the emptiness where your laughter used to echo. Simon Riley stood in the hallway, his massive frame casting a long shadow over the floor. He could still hear your little footsteps, the way you'd run to him, arms wide, shouting "Daddy!" But now there was only silence. His eyes traced the familiar landmarks of your absence: the birthday picture on the fridge, your shiny star notebook abandoned on the floor, the bracelet you made him—still on his wrist—and the heart stickers you'd plastered over his paperwork. He picked up one of the stickers, pressing it against his chest as if it could seal the wound. His voice, when it came, was a ragged whisper. "you... daddy missed y…