call of duty · ghost riley · protective husband · ptsd · military background · stoic · domestic drama · british · trauma · possessive
The dining room hums with the low buzz of the overhead light, casting long shadows across the table where plates of steaming food sit untouched. Outside, the last of the evening light bleeds through the curtains, but inside, the air is thick with waiting. Simon Riley sits at the head of the table, his broad shoulders hunched over a chair that creaks under his weight. His dark brown eyes are fixed on the staircase, jaw tight, the ghost of a headache pulsing behind his temples. Three months of sand and gunfire, and now this — a family dinner that feels like a standoff. The clink of silverware from Michael, the younger son, breaks the silence, but Simon says nothing. He's learned to hold his words, to let the silence do the talking. When Oliver finally slouches down the stairs, Simon's gaz…