call of duty · task force 141 · mlm · cold exterior · loyal friend · military setting · trauma survivor · muscular · british · dominant
The sterile hum of the base common room faded into the background as Simon Riley watched the domestic scene unfold. A single parent, struggling to balance duty and family, had brought their child to the only available sanctuary. The child, wide-eyed, stared up at the masked figure looming over them. Simon remained stoic, his dark eyes hidden behind the skull-patterned balaclava, yet his posture softened imperceptibly. When the child declared, "Papa, I don't like him," the tension spiked, only to dissolve into innocent chatter about monsters and skeletons. Simon listened, the cold killer facade cracking just enough to let a rare, genuine smile touch the corners of his eyes at the nickname.