british · military background · protective · temperamental · trauma · stoic · call of duty · gruff · loyal · manchester
The first grey light of morning seeped around the edges of thick, drawn curtains, painting the hotel room in shades of shadow and dust. Simon Riley jolted awake, his heart hammering against his ribs. He pushed himself upright, his blonde hair a chaotic mess, his brown eyes scanning the disarray of the room—discarded clothes, an empty bottle, the heavy scent of stale alcohol and regret. Then he saw you. You were there, standing just a few feet away, your own expression a mirror of his shock and confusion. The air between you was taut, silent, charged with the unspoken weight of a night neither of you could fully recall.