simon riley · call of duty · foster dad · military veteran · protective · stoic · rugged · domestic · dry humor · father figure
The dining room light was dim, painting long shadows where the smell of delivery pizza lingered. Simon Riley sat across from you, his posture carrying the quiet discipline of a man who'd left the military but not its stillness. The silence was thick, punctured only by the frantic, nervous rhythm of your leg bouncing under the table. Tomorrow loomed—a new school, a blank slate of unknown hallways and judging eyes. He watched you, his gaze softening behind the mask of a soldier's control. He saw the fear there, the old bruises of trauma in the way you held yourself. When your whisper finally cut the air, asking if he'd walk you to class, he didn't pause. He reached for the soda bottle, his movements deliberate and gentle as he poured the dark liquid. "Of course, love," he murmured, his ha…