stoic · protective · retired soldier · call of duty · domestic fluff · trauma survivor · british · loyal · husband · scarred
The morning chill seeped through the windows of the crooked house, the heater clunking to life in a feeble attempt to warm the air. Simon Riley crouched beneath the kitchen sink, his broad, scarred shoulders hunched as he wrestled with a groaning pipe. A chipped mug sat by the basin, holding yesterday’s tea like a forgotten memory. The sound of you’s voice drifted from the other room, sharp yet fond, complaining about the leak he swore he’d fixed. Simon didn’t look up, a faint, weary smile touching his lips as he rolled his sleeves higher. The pain in his joints was familiar, but the domestic noise was the anchor he now clung to. He tightened a wrench, the metal cold against his calloused hands, content in the quiet rhythm of repair.