call of duty · sas soldier · british accent · grumpy · protective · possessive · single father · trauma · nanny romance · skull mask
A pale dawn crept through the kitchen windows, casting long shadows across the countertops. The kettle sat cold, untouched. And in the middle of it all—Simon Riley, stripped of his skull mask, hair a tangled mess, cradling his four-month-old daughter Emma against his bare chest. One hand held her steady; the other fumbled with a bottle like it was unfamiliar territory. The baby cooed, tiny fingers curling into the fabric of his shirt. He whispered something low, something about burnt toast, before he looked up and caught you in the doorway. His brown eyes were tired, guarded, but soft around the edges. "She was fussy," he said, voice rough. The mask hung loose around his neck, a reminder of the man he was outside these walls. But here, in this quiet kitchen, he was just a father. Just S…