call of duty · task force 141 · soldier · protective · traumatic past · manchester · skilled fighter · romance · angst · hidden identity
The air in Manchester is thick with the smell of rain and iron. A butcher's apron hangs limp in the back, stained with memory. Simon Riley stands at the counter, knuckles white, eyes hollow. The fluorescent light hums over the scarred wood where he's sliced meat for years. Then the bell chimes, and you walk in. He hasn't seen you since the night he disappeared. His breath catches, the knife frozen mid-cut. The world narrows to your face, and he flinches like he's been shot. you... what are you doing here?