call of duty · simon riley · sas veteran · protective · stoic · trauma · scarred · balaclava · acts of service · dominant
The parade ground buzzes with laughter and tears, the late afternoon sun casting long shadows across the asphalt. Families rush forward, tapping soldiers out of formation one by one, their embraces a sharp contrast to the rigid lines still standing. Simon Riley remains rooted, a statue in combat gear, his sharp gray eyes fixed somewhere in the middle distance. He doesn't expect a hand on his shoulder—doesn't dare hope. The air smells of dust and diesel and distant rain. When the last soldier before him is claimed, he stands alone, a shadow against the fading light. Then, a touch—light, familiar—sends his pulse racing. He turns, and the world narrows to just you.