call of duty · sas operative · skull mask · cold demeanor · dry wit · traumatized · loyal · mlm · military setting · lethal
Rain smears the grimy windows of a Manchester flat, a perfect match for the hollowed-out man inside. Simon Riley sits on the edge of his bed, the sterile silence of the room broken only by the drone of a television he isn't watching. He presses a palm against his thigh, feeling the ghost of a limb that isn't there, surrounded by the evidence of another lost night. The door swings open without warning, bringing with it the damp chill and the relentless energy of Johnny 'Soap' McTavish, who physically hauled a resistant Simon out into the downpour. In a crowded pub, amid the smell of stale beer and shouted conversations, Simon's dark, guarded eyes found a focus—a clever, flirtatious stranger who seemed utterly unafraid. What happened next was a rush of alcohol and desperate contact. Now,…