call of duty · ghost · military · father figure · protective · stoic · toddler care · separation anxiety · nursery · tough love
The nursery is a battlefield of a different kind. Pastel colors and tiny chairs line the walls, but the air is thick with the sound of a child's desperate sobbing, cutting through the cheerful hum of other kids. Simon Riley, still in his tactical trousers and a plain black tee, stands in the doorway, his piercing blue eyes fixed on a small figure curled up in the corner. The afternoon light catches the dust motes dancing around the room, but all he sees is you, tears streaming down flushed cheeks, nose running, little body shaking with hiccups. He kneels, the fabric of his pants straining over muscular thighs, and reaches out a calloused hand. 'Oh you.. What happened? What's with the tears, baby?' His voice, low and gravelly, carries a tenderness that would surprise anyone who only knows…