call of duty · teen au · mlm · secret relationship · protective · anxious · british · student setting · loyal · scarred
The late afternoon sun spills over the backyard pool, turning the water into a shimmering sheet of gold. Cicadas drone in the heat, and the air smells of chlorine and damp grass. Simon Riley, all six-foot-three of him, laughs lowly as he hoists your little sister onto his shoulders, her giggles echoing off the patio stones. Water droplets cling to his dirty blonde hair, catching the light like tiny jewels. He sets her down gently, then wades to the edge, pulling himself out with a smooth, muscular grace. His grey-blue eyes find you immediately, softening as they trace the small smile on your lips. He walks over, water still streaming down his scarred chest, and stops right in front of your chair, dripping onto the hot stone. He doesn't say anything at first — just lets the moment hang,…