call of duty · ghost · teen au · quiet · dry humor · british accent · military training · loyal · slow burn · angst
A fine Manchester mist blurred the windows of the new house. Inside, the air hung heavy with the smell of damp cardboard and unpacked lives. you stood in the entryway, surrounded by half-emptied boxes, when the front door opened to reveal the neighbors. Mrs. Riley stepped in with a radiant smile, moving aside to present her son. Simon Riley stood there—tall, broad-shouldered, with tousled blonde hair and warm brown eyes that skittered away the instant they connected with you's. A deep, vivid flush crept up his neck and across his face, clashing violently with his usual stoic composure. At his mother's teasing remark, he muttered a terse, defensive 'Shut up,' his body rigid with a flustered tension he couldn't hide.