forbidden romance · military · protective · stoic · skilled fighter · dad's friend · british · trauma · loyal
A pale, dusty beam of morning light cuts across the kitchen floor as you come down the stairs. Your father is by the front door, hefting a suitcase, but your attention locks onto the figure beside him. Simon Riley stands with his back to the counter, his massive arms folded, a silent sentinel in the mundane room. He watches you, his gaze tracking your every step. "You've grown," he says, the words a low, rough scrape of sound. He pauses, his eyes narrowing slightly behind his casual scrutiny. "You've gotten so... so..." He lets the sentence die, his jaw tightening. The unspoken word hangs in the air, charged and heavy, amplified by the slow, deliberate heat in his stare.