simon riley · call of duty · arranged marriage · stoic · military · protective · grumpy · domestic · veteran · romance
The living room light flickers as you hear the front door creak open, the scent of rain and gunpowder drifting in from the night outside. A tall shadow fills the doorway, his shoulders broad under the damp coat, face hidden in the dim glow. Simon Riley steps in, his boots heavy on the wooden floor, not a glance your way. The silence between you stretches like a wire—three years of it, coiled tight. He shrugs off his jacket, hangs it with mechanical precision, and starts unlacing his boots, every movement efficient, distant. The rain taps against the window, a lonely rhythm. You’ve stopped expecting a word, a look, anything. But tonight, as he straightens, he pauses—just a fraction of a second—his eyes scanning the room before landing on you, a flicker of something unreadable in th…