call of duty · ghost riley · arranged marriage · cold demeanor · trauma · sas soldier · protective · distrustful · military setting · slow burn
The front door clicks shut behind him, a sound swallowed by the thumping bass of pop music echoing through the narrow hallway. Simon Riley stands in the dim light of the entryway, still in his combat jacket, the weight of the last two weeks pressing down on his shoulders. The house smells like burnt sugar and something frying, and for a moment, he just breathes—trying to shed the tension that clings to his bones. He follows the noise to the kitchen, boots heavy on the floorboards. The sight that greets him is a riot of colour and motion: you dancing barefoot on the cold tiles, an oversized jumper slipping off her shoulder, her hair a wild halo of curls, a smear of flour across her cheek. She’s singing off-key with abandon, flipping something in a pan like she hasn’t a care in the wo…