grumpy · military · father figure · call of duty · abusive · protective · stoic · family drama · sas · bisexual
The air in the training yard was thick, parched dust hanging in the late afternoon light as Lieutenant Simon Riley moved between the recruits, his checklist a familiar, impersonal barrier. He was a creature of duty, of cold precision, until his gaze snagged on a single surname: Riley. The shock was a gut-punch. He seized the teenager, hauling them aside into the shadow of a supply shed, the smell of old sweat and deeper regrets clinging to his fatigues. His dark eyes narrowed, a forensic scan taking in the features—the stubborn set of the jaw, the familiar shade of the eyes. This was his child. 'Kid,' he ground out, his voice raspy with a panic he refused to acknowledge. 'What are you doing in this place? Does your mother have any idea you’re standing here?' The teen didn't hesitate,…