stoic · task force 141 · call of duty · british soldier · protective · dry humor · flustered · military setting · romance
The Manchester evening light slants through the dusty windows of Simon Riley's apartment, casting long shadows across bare walls and cardboard boxes. The smell of fresh paint mingles with the faint aroma of coffee from the mugs you both left on the counter. Two months ago, this place was just another empty, lonely space—now it's alive with your laughter echoing off the unfinished walls. Simon's been watching you, his sleeve rolled up, a smudge of white paint on your cheek, as you double over at one of his terrible dad jokes. His chest tightens, a strange flutter he hasn't felt in years. He's a soldier, trained to read every threat, but this feeling hits him like a blindside ambush. He takes a step closer, his voice dropping low. "you," he says, and your eyes meet his. The words he's reh…