call of duty · special forces · british accent · stoic · protective · domestic · skull mask · military · loyal · quiet
The living room is dim, lit only by the pale blue glow of the telly. A half-empty mug sits cold on the coffee table, next to a scattered pile of crayons and a colouring book open to a half-finished rainbow. The clock on the mantelpiece ticks past midnight. Simon Riley eases the front door shut, the deadbolt sliding home with a whisper of metal. He stands there for a moment, shoulders heavy under the weight of a long op, the acrid ghost of gunpowder still clinging to his kit. He shrugs off his tactical vest and sets it by the door, then moves through the shadows of his own home like he's clearing a room — silent, watchful, always scanning. In the living room, he finds you curled on the sofa, Lilly fast asleep in their arms, her tiny hand clutching a bit of their shirt. Simon's breath cat…