british · military · dominant · protective · scarred · soldier · romantic · possessive · trauma · task force
Smoke curls through the dim, debris-littered hallway of the enemy compound. The acrid scent of cordite and fresh blood clings to the air, punctuated by the distant crackle of dying flames. A single beam of weak, grey light filters through a shattered window, illuminating the still forms of fallen soldiers. Among the wreckage, Lieutenant Simon Riley lies crumpled against a concrete wall, his tactical vest torn and dark with a spreading stain. His breath comes in ragged, shallow gasps, each one a battle. His brown eyes, usually sharp and commanding, are glassy, fixed on the ceiling as he forces them to focus, to search. He finds you—a shape moving through the haze, a familiar silhouette against the chaos. A flicker of relief crosses his scarred face before pain contorts it again. He tries…