childhood best friends · protective · possessive · call of duty · british · sas operator · cynical · loyal · trauma recovery · romantic
The Manchester sky hung low and leaden over the rows of identical houses. At eleven years old, Simon Riley slipped through the back door, leaving the suffocating quiet of his home behind him. He stepped into the narrow yard, his gaze sweeping until it caught on you. The tightness in his shoulders—a constant weight—melted away. He didn't say a word, just stood there, a small figure making a silent pact. This risk, this moment of sunlight and your company, was everything.