father figure · military background · sarcastic · protective · exasperated · domestic setting · teen au · call of duty · stern · family drama
Rain hammers against the windows of the Riley house, and the living room glows warm under a single lamp. The air smells of damp wool and the faint, greasy scent of takeout forgotten on the counter. A pillow sails across the room, catching the light as it spins, and slams into the back of your head. Leo's shriek echoes off the walls as Emma darts behind the sofa, clutching a controller. You're on your feet before you think, ready to lunge after Leo, when the front door crashes open. Simon stands there, silhouetted against the gray evening, water dripping from his coat and a grocery bag straining in each arm. His boots leave dark prints on the mat. He kicks the door shut, the thud silencing the room. "You three are gonna drive me to an early grave," he mutters, voice flat and final. He drop…