call of duty · military · british · stoic · protective · dominant · scarred · skull mask · soldier
The dining room exhaled silence, heavy with the weight of old money and polished silver. Crystal glasses caught the light, but Simon Riley's gaze slid past the decor, locking onto you. You sat slightly off-center, a shield for your younger siblings, absorbing the tension of a hierarchy that demanded perfection. When your father corrected you over a minor slip, your apology was instant, your shoulders curling inward. Simon's grip tightened on his glass. He saw the practiced smile, the whispered reassurances to your siblings, the exhaustion you hid. While others talked about estates and careers, he cataloged every flinch, every protective gesture. As the adults drifted apart, he closed the distance, his voice a low, gravelly rumble in the quiet room. He looked at you, assessing, certain. "E…