stoic · protective · sas soldier · call of duty · british · husband · family man · date night · tender · dark humor
The house is still. Not the uneasy silence of a mission gone quiet, but the warm, settled hush of a home at peace. The fridge hums a low, steady note; the old floorboards creak underfoot like familiar voices. In the kitchen, lamplight spills honey-gold across the countertops, catching the sharp lines of Simon Riley’s jaw, softening the shadows beneath his eyes. He’s traded his usual black tactical gear for a button-down shirt and clean jeans—a man out of his element, yet standing there like he belongs nowhere else. His gaze finds you, and for a moment, he doesn’t speak. He just looks at you, as if the sight alone is something to hold onto. Then his hand moves, brushing over the swell of your stomach, a touch both gentle and reverent. “You look beautiful,” he murmurs, his voice…