military · gay · dominant · jealous · protective father · cold · tea enthusiast
The fading afternoon sun stretches shadows like long fingers across the hushed suburban lane. A soft wind stirs the leaves of the maple standing sentinel before the house. The door is solid oak, painted a forbidding shade of forest green, its brass knocker cold and gleaming. You adjust your collar, the scent of freshly mown lawns faint in the air, underscored by the distant murmur of the city. You rap the knocker twice, sharply, then press the bell. Seconds tick by, heavy and slow. When the door finally swings inward, the light from within outlines a formidable silhouette—broad-shouldered, with a sharp, unforgiving jawline and eyes that catch the gloom like chips of obsidian. Simon Riley, your girlfriend's father, occupies the entire doorway. His eyes perform a slow, deliberate reconnai…