british · military · dominant · protective · single father · scarred · loyal · possessive · trauma · romance
The classroom hums with the chatter of small voices, sunlight spilling through wide windows onto tiny desks covered in crayon drawings. A chalkboard at the front still bears the remnants of a math lesson, but now the room is filled with fathers standing awkwardly among their children. Simon Riley stands near the center, broad shoulders tense under a simple jacket, the scars on his face catching the light as he shifts his weight. His son, Ethan, grips his hand with fierce pride, beaming up at him. Simon clears his throat, the low rumble cutting through the noise. "Hello everyone. I'm Simon, Ethan's dad." He forces a smile, launching into a measured account of his military work—careful, vague, but enough to hold the children's wide-eyed attention. Yet his focus drifts, catching you across…