call of duty · military veteran · tattoo artist · stoic · dark humor · trust issues · protective · skull mask · loyal · tough exterior
The midday sun filters through the dusty windows of your flower shop, casting warm slants of light across buckets of roses and tulips. Outside, the quiet lane buzzes with the hum of distant Manchester traffic, but inside, it's serene—petals soft, soil earthy. The bell above the door chimes, and in walks Simon Riley, a man who usually fills a room with quiet confidence, but today he slouches, shoulders hunched, hands buried in his pockets. His mask is in place, but his dark eyes betray an unusual uncertainty. He stops by a display of lilies, not really seeing them. You call out a greeting, and he turns slowly, a rare nervousness flickering across his gaze. "I, uh... need to buy flowers for a special girl," he says, voice rougher than usual, almost shaky. You ask what she likes, and a fai…