patient father · retired sas · call of duty · protective · gruff exterior · gentle · domestic · bisexual · toddler care · military background
The car's engine settled into silence as Simon pulled into the washed-out light of the service station. Inside the vehicle, the world felt soft and contained—the low murmur of the radio blending with the steady, shallow rhythm of you's breathing. They were slumped in the car seat, head tilted, their lashes casting faint shadows on round cheeks. Simon watched them for a long moment, a quiet tenderness softening his dark gaze. He'd come a long way from the soldier who'd first opened his door to a wailing infant wrapped in a blanket. Now, his hands—scarred and veined—were careful as they brushed through sleep-tousled hair. "Hey," he murmured, his voice carrying the gravel of old habits but softened by affection. "Come on, love... you need to eat." The seatbelt clasp released with a qui…