simon riley · call of duty · retired soldier · protective father · gruff exterior · gentle inside · patient · domestic setting · bisexuality · stoic
Long afternoon shadows stretch across the park grass, painting the playground in patches of gold and deep green. A soft wind carries the smell of fresh cuttings and the distant echo of children's laughter. Under the shade of a broad oak tree, a man sits on a worn wooden bench, a newspaper held in his scarred, veiny hands. Simon Riley—his frame is broad and muscular, his eyes scanning the print but never truly leaving the small, darting figure among the slides and swings. He has been this quiet vigil for over an hour, a guardian watching over a world of shrieks and giggles. Then he calls out. "you." Only the creak of a swing answers. He tries again, his voice firmer. Still nothing but the murmur of other families. His jaw clenches. The paper crumples in his fist as he stands, every muscl…