#riley cod

when you had moved to herefordshire, the first thing you had realized was just how quiet your house was with only you in it. no shared walls with apartment neighbours and far less traffic on the streets compared to living in the city made for a peaceful living experience, but there was such a thing as too quiet.

so that’s how you found yourself sitting at your computer, scrolling through animal shelter websites looking for a dog. you had been keeping an eye on the websites for weeks, trying to find one that you fell in love with. of course they were all cute, but none of them felt right. that was until you saw an ad for a soon to be available dog on the shelters home page, a military dog who was retiring from service. you saw his picture and instantly fell in love, reading through his bio and profile.

name: riley

breed: male german shepherd

age: 7 years old

5 years of service

no existing health conditions - fixed

energetic - does well with humans and other dogs

after sending in an application, you got an email back a few days later saying you had passed the first round of the adoption process, and that you could schedule a date to meet him at the shelter. if things went well, you would be approved and riley could go home with you.

your house had a fairly sizeable yard, so he would have plenty of space to run around and play. your job was also remote, which meant you wouldn’t have to leave him home alone while you went to work or worry about finding a doggy day care for him.

you scheduled a meeting at the shelter for next week, and hopefully soon there would be a four legged friend in your house to keep you company.

the day finally came after what felt like the longest week of your life. thankfully the drive to the shelter was only about thirty minutes, and there were some nice views of the countryside and villages along the way. parking your car, you got out and walked into the building and up to the front desk, the receptionist smiling at you as you entered.

“hi, are you here to see riley?” she asked, since you were here just five minutes before the appointment time.

“yeah, i brought all the forms and stuff,” you said, handing her a stack of paper.

“perfect, have a seat and we should be ready for you in a few minutes. if you have any questions my name is nancy.”

“thank you,” you replied, taking a seat in the small waiting room.

just as nancy had said, a few minutes later a man who introduced himself as nick, said you could follow him back to a meeting area outside.

there was a tall man dressed in all black standing holding a leash, and you saw riley sitting next to him, his tail wagging side to side.

“hi,” you introduced yourself to the man, who was even taller and more intimidating up close. you offered a hand for him to shake, and he took it, his hand dwarfing yours.

“simon,” he gave you his name somewhat reluctantly, and you tried not to take it personally. he wore a hat and a surgical mask covered the bottom half of his face, and you assumed he must not want his identity out there with his line of work being what it was. you could tell he was military just from looking at him, the way he stood gave it away on its own, nevermind that he was built like a tank.

simon was hesitant to come here, not thrilled on the idea of having to meet a bunch of strangers, but there was no way in hell he was letting riley go to just anyone.

he had already declined three other applicants, only having actually met one of them in person.

soap would have been the better choice to send, far more personable, but simon insisted he had to be the one to approve riley’s new owner. he would’ve taken riley home himself, but he was gone too much, and it wouldn’t be fair to leave him alone.

“hi riley,” you said softly, offering a hand for him to sniff at a respectful distance. the introductions went well, and you even got to feed riley treats straight from your hand by the end of it.

“‘e likes you,” simon said, and you smiled at him. he had been quiet for most of the meeting, aside from giving riley a few commands to show you how well trained he was.

“i’m glad,” you replied, and he signalled for riley to go to you.

“see if he’ll listen to you,” he suggested, taking a step back.

“riley sit,” you said, and he listened, sitting nicely on the grass in front of you. “good boy!” you laughed, showing him your hand before scratching the top of his head softly.

“so we’ll give you a call in a few days with a decision. we have one more applicant to meet with and then we’ll let you know,” nick, the shelter worker explained.

“sounds good,” you smiled, giving riley another treat as he succeeded in demonstrating shake a paw.

simon would not be meeting with anyone else - you were perfect. riley seemed to like you, and your application had stood out to him when he’d read them. it helped that you were good looking too, but he was trying not to let that influence his decision. you could be the most attractive person he’d ever laid eyes on - which you might’ve been - but if you weren’t right for riley he didn’t care. you just happened to be both. after you’d said goodbye, simon pulled nick aside.

“we don’t need to meet anyone else. we found riley’s new owner.”

you got the call two days later, after waiting impatiently, hoping you’d made a good impression.

riley was coming home.

“thank you!” you said. “when can i pick him up?”

“he’ll be ready to go home in three days,” nancy - the receptionist you had met- said over the phone. “that should give you a few days to buy some essentials for him.”

“sounds great. i’ll see you then,” you said, and you said your goodbyes before hanging up.

you grabbed your keys and went to the store, grabbing stuff riley would need like food, dog dishes, a bed, and some toys you thought he would like.

three days went by in a flash, and it was time to go get riley from the shelter. simon was there sitting with him in the waiting room when you arrived, once again in all black, his face obscured by a mask like it had been the other day.

“hi, nice to see you again,” you said politely. “hi riley,” you smiled at the dog sitting between his knees, patting him on the head.

“ready to go home, boy?” he asked riley, who looked up at him. “i’ll miss you too,” he said, as riley leaned up and bumped his chin with his snout.

“i’ll take great care of him, i promise,” you said, and simon knew you meant it. he wouldn’t have picked you if he didn’t think you could. simon handed you the leash, and riley walked over to stand beside you, sniffing your leg as he looked up at simon.

you thought for a moment, before grabbing a piece of paper and a pen from your bag, after scribbling your phone number on it, you handed it to simon, who was watching you with furrowed eyebrows.

“i’m sure you’re really busy with work, but give me a call if you want to come visit him sometime,” you offered, smiling at him, before you suddenly looked nervous. “no pressure.”

simon stared at you unblinking for a moment, before looking down at riley and then back up at you.

“sure, thanks,” he said, before standing from his chair and crouching down in front of riley. “maybe i’ll see ya around. be a good boy, yeah?” he scratched riley’s ears one more time before leaving, and you felt guilty that riley looked sad watching him leave, his ear turning downwards as he laid down on the floor with a sigh.

“come on, riley. i’ve got a bunch of treats and toys for you at home,” you smiled and he perked up, before following you out to your car.

you had a folding kennel in the back of your car, in case he felt more comfortable in there, but when you opened your the drivers side door to press the button to open it, he hopped in, crawling over the console and sitting in the passenger seat.

“you have to wear a seatbelt if you sit shotgun, buddy,” you teased him, deciding to let him sit wherever he was comfortable and getting in the drivers seat. his ears perked up at the word shotgun, and you figured he had heard it in a different context before.

“no not like that, i mean in the front seat,” you laughed. you realized that this sweet dog had probably been in a lot more dangerous situations, worse than you could even imagine.

“you get to just relax now, riley.”

•

the first few weeks riley spent at your house went relatively smoothly. he obviously took a bit of time to get used to living in a new place, and one that was surely a lot calmer than what he was used to. by now you had fallen into a comfortable routine of waking up in the morning and taking riley out into the yard to do his business and run around, throwing a ball or frisbee for him while you drank your morning coffee.

since you worked from home, you had a little office upstairs, and riley quickly discovered he liked to lay on the floor by your feet while you worked. it made sense considering his past, but he was very protective of you, and clingy in the way that he always wanted to keep an eye on you.

riley enjoyed walking around the neighborhood, and it wasn’t that you had felt unsafe before, but it was comforting to have him by your side if you were walking late at night.

what surprised you most is that riley liked to cuddle. it had been about a month since you got him that you started to notice he liked to be touching you in some way when he laid next to you on the couch.

“come here, riley,” you said, turning your body to the side and patting your thigh. he crawled into your lap, resting his head on your stomach as you stroked the fur on his head. “good boy.”

he seemed to enjoy sleeping in his dog bed, but after you invited him up to cuddle in bed the first time, he was not going back. and so suddenly your bed became half the size, as riley stretched himself across half of it, his head by your feet to watch the door.

•

it was about three months later that you received a phone call from an unknown number, riley’s head in your lap as you sat on the couch.

“hello?” you answered it.

“it’s simon,” his deep voice replied, and you swore riley heard it, because his ear perked up slightly. “i was just calling to see how riley is doing.”

“he’s really good,” you smiled, and simon could hear it in your voice. he had thought about calling a few times, but never did. he appreciated that you hadn’t asked for his number, giving him full control over communication. soap had asked him about the person who ended up adopting riley, and ever since he found out ghost had gotten your number, he had been pressuring simon to call for weeks.

“glad to hear that. not giving ya too much trouble is he?” he replied.

“just enough,” you laughed. “are you in town next weekend? you could come see him if you want,” you offered.

“not sure yet,” he lied. he knew he wasn’t in town, but he felt that wasn’t your business to know, regardless of how innocent your reason for asking had been. simon couldn’t exactly go around telling someone he barely knew that he had to leave on a secret mission, now could he?

you knew he was in the military, but the specifics of his occupation were a mystery to you, and he intended to keep it that way.

“well feel free to call if you want to check in on him,” you said, slightly disappointed. a part of you wanted him to say yes; even if just to possibly make a friend in a town you hardly knew anyone in. “and if you’d be more comfortable meeting somewhere in public, that’s okay with me too. though i’m still new to town so i don’t know anywhere to suggest,” you laughed again, and simon decided he liked the sound of it.

“i’d be a bad tour guide,” he replied, thinking about how little he was home, and how he rarely left his apartment when he was. “appreciate the offer, work is just..” he trailed off.

“unpredictable?” you suggested, and he almost smiled.

“not a bad word for it,” he agreed.

“no worries, we’ll be around.”

“tell him me and the boys say hi,” he said, almost saying soaps name by accident.

“will do, bye simon.”

he said goodbye, and you realized you liked the way he said your name, his thick british accent making it sound more interesting.

•

it was another few weeks before you heard from simon again, opting against calling him even though now you had his number in your phone. you could tell he was hesitant to let someone into his life, even after only having two conversations with him, and you weren’t going to push it.

you were curled up in bed with riley next to you, reading before bed when your phone rang, startling both of you.

“it’s okay, riley. it’s just the phone,” you said, and he relaxed next to you again.

“hello?” you answered.

“i’ll be in town next weekend,” simon’s voice came through the speaker; no hello, no formalities. social skills had never been his strong point.

“i’m sure someone would be very excited to see you.”

“you or the dog?” he teased, and you wondered how he managed to talk like that but couldn’t manage a simple hello. another thing to add to the list of questions about him that continued to grow longer and longer.

“funny,” sarcasm dripped from your voice, but there was a smile on your face that he couldn’t see. “so, is my house okay or did you want me to bring him somewhere?”

“i don’t go out much, your house is fine.”

“sure. does saturday work?” you asked.

“that works.”

“i’ll text you my address,” you replied, and he hummed in response.

“i’ll see you on saturday then.”

“see you saturday,” you confirmed, and just as there had been no hello, there was no goodbye before he hung up. you shook your head, looking at riley.

“your dad is a mystery, riley.”

one you were starting to like the idea of solving.

•

you had sent simon your address, and weren’t all that suprised when he read the message and didn’t reply. still, saturday afternoon rolled around, and a black suv pulled into your driveway. riley barked at the window, and you stepped out with him onto the front porch as simon got out.

when riley saw him, he ran straight towards him, jumping up at his leg and barking happily, his tail swinging back and forth. simon knelt down to pat him, and riley almost knocked the hat off his head as he popped up, trying to lick his covered face.

“i guess we don’t need to wonder if he recognizes you,” you laughed, and simon smiled beneath his surgical mask.

another mystery, but one you weren’t going to ask him about. yet.

“guess not,” he said, rubbing riley’s stomach as he rolled around on the ground.

“he’s gonna get filthy,” you laughed, thinking of the bath you would have to give him later.

“he always did like makin’ a mess,” simon agreed. “come on,” he said to riley, lifting him up with one arm, slinging the dog over his shoulder. riley just panted happily, as you wondered how he managed to pick up a dog who easily weighed 80 pounds with so little effort.

“we can sit in the backyard so he can run around,” you suggested, leading him through the gate to the fenced in backyard.

“you’re spoiling him,” simon commented, looking at all the toys scattered across the grass.

“maybe just a little,” you shrugged with a smile as he set riley down in the grass, before picking up a ball and throwing it to the dog. “he deserves it.”

“on that we agree,” simon said, watching as riley ran back to him with the ball before taking it from him and throwing it again.

“can i get you anything to drink?” you offered politely, trying to be a good host.

“no, thank you.” he considered it, but drinking with the mask on was awkward, and he wasn’t ready to take it off just yet.

“if you change your mind let me know.”

he simply nodded in response.

you were surprised at how easy you found it to talk to simon. you suspected part of it was that he himself didn’t talk much, nodding or keeping the topic of the conversation on you or riley as much as possible. you told him a bit about your life before moving here, and he listened intently, glad you didn’t seem like you were going to ask him the same kinds of questions.

“you said to tell him the boys say hi,” you said, attempting to ask him something about himself, without it being too invasive. “riley worked with a bunch of you guys?”

“a few of us,” he agreed, but didn’t give you any more than that.

“you can take some pictures of him if you want to show them,” you offered. he held up a black flip phone.

“i appreciate it, but the camera on this thing is bloody awful,” he explained, and you laughed. “texting is a nightmare too.”

maybe that’s why he hadn’t replied.

“why don’t you get a better phone?” you asked; you were sure he could afford it.

“don’t have much need for one i suppose.”

that was fair, you thought, deciding you couldn’t picture him scrolling through cat videos, though the image did make you laugh.

“hang on,” you said, before running in the house, leaving simon alone with riley, who kept trying to shove a frisbee into his hand.

“you like it here?” he asked him, and riley wagged his tail, pushing him again with the frisbee. “good.”

you returned with a polaroid camera, handing it to simon.

“here, that way you can have some pictures to take with you.”

“aven’t seen one of these in a while,” he commented, flipping it around in his hands.

“yeah, they were a big thing a few years ago. i’m suprised i still have mine, but i thought i might want to take pictures of the scenery up here.”

“guess i’m not with the trends,” he said, which didn’t surprise you in the slightest. he pointed the camera at riley, who sat in front of him, almost smiling. the flash went off, and the camera hummed as it spat out the film, which simon set in the shade to develop.

“thanks, the guys will be happy to see he’s doing well.”

“i’m glad,” you smiled at him, and he almost smiled back, though you couldn’t tell.

he stayed for a little while longer before he said he had to get going, taking a few more pictures of riley running around and playing. he tucked them in his pocket, and handed the camera back to you.

“i’ll see you around i guess?”

“i’m not around much,” he replied honestly. “but i could come visit again, he seemed happy to see me.”

“i hope i wasn’t that bad of company either,” you admitted, and he looked at you. simon knew he wasn’t good at opening up to people, but he hoped you didn’t think it was anything personal.

“not at all.”

he left just before dinner, and you found yourself wondering how long it would be before he called again.

simon got back to base, dropping a polaroid of riley on the table in front of soap, which opened the dam of questions from johnny.

“how did it go? how’s riley? are you gonna hang out again? are you guys in love.”

“piss off,” simon grumbled, sitting down in a chair across the room and closing his eyes. “riley’s good. he seems happy there.”

“maybe you could be happy there too, LT,” johnny said, moving his eyebrows up and down suggestively.

“drop it, mactavish.”

“fine,” he raised his hands in surrender. “you know where to send my invite to the wedding.”

soap left him alone, and once he was back in his room, simon pulled the stack of polaroids out of his pocket, looking through them with a smile. he took off his hat and his mask, leaving the polaroids next to them on the desk. he sat down on his bed, looking at the one picture left in his hand; the one he had taken without you looking. you were standing next to riley, a smile on your face as he stood with his front paws on your hip. he looked at it a minute longer, before tucking it in his dresser drawer with riley’s vest.

•

cut to a year later, and your bed was a quarter of the size, with riley between you and simon as you buried your face in the pillow to block the sun from your eyes.

“morning love,” simon mumbled, still half asleep as he pulled you into his chest.

“morning,” you hummed, as riley crawled on top of him. “good morning to you too, riley.” he licked your face in response, and you wiped it away with your hand.

you tried to sleep for a bit longer, but once that dog was awake, he wanted everyone else to be, so you dragged yourself out of bed, throwing on a sweater to block out the chill of the morning air as you took him outside.

“are you really making me do this?” simon asked, kissing the side of your head as he walked up behind you with two mugs of tea.

“it’ll be fun,” you insisted as you watched riley run around in the yard. you had finally convinced simon to bring his friends over, and it was indeed for a very special occasion.

“it’s a birthday party for a dog.”

“you love him,” you teased, kissing him softly as riley ran up the steps of the porch to sit at your feet.

soap, gaz, and price came over around three that afternoon, and riley was so excited to see them that he almost knocked johnny off his feet when he got out of the car.

“aye buddy, i missed ya too,” he laughed, scratching him behind the ears.

“can’t say i ever imagine you inviting me to a birthday party,” price said, patting simon on the back.

“i will never live this down, will i?”

“not a chance,” gaz smiled. simon introduced you to everyone, and you invited them inside, which you had decorated with a banner and some streamers. you’d even made dog cupcakes, which you had to stop johnny from eating.

“so he’s settled in nicely?” gaz asked after dinner, as you sat around playing cards, riley asleep on your lap.

“yeah, he snores and hogs the bed though,” you laughed. “but he’s cute so i forgive him.”

“you talking about simon or the dog?” johnny asked, and simon shot him a glare.

Simon’s hand settles automatically at the small of your back, pulling you in a step. You lean into him without even thinking about it, already craning your neck to look past the front desk.

“Oh my God,” you whisper excitedly. “Simon. There are so many.”

He hums, but his eyes aren’t on the dogs yet. They’re on you. On the way your shoulders loosen the second you spot the first wagging tail. On the way your mouth softens, corners tipping up like you’ve just walked into a room full of old friends.

You slip out from under his hand immediately, and he clenched his hand, resisting the urge to pull you back in.

“Okay, look at that one,” you say, already rushing for the first row of kennels. “Si, look at his ears! He looks like a bat!”

The dog in question is maybe twenty pounds soaking wet, shaking with excitement and hopping against the bars like a wind-up toy.

“…No.”

You turn to him face scrunched with a scandalized expression. “No? Simon, he’s adorable.”

“He’s tiny.”

“So?”

“So I deploy,” he says flatly, eyes flicking back to the dog and then to you, “and someone breaks in. What’s he gonna do, lick ’em to death?”

You look back at the fluff ball. “… He could bark.”

“He could get punted.”

“Simon.”

“I’m serious.”

You sigh, dramatic, but you’re smiling. You always smile when he gets like this, and the worry bleeds through the gruffness. You reach for his arm, fingers curling around the sleeve of his hoodie.

“We’re not picking a dog based on hypothetical home invasion scenarios.”

“We absolutely are.” He glances at you. “You wanted a dog. This is a compromise. I’m compromising.”

The next kennel holds a long-haired mutt with soulful eyes and a tail that thumps cautiously against the floor.

“Ohhh,” you gush. “This one looks like he’d cuddle.”

Simon crouches, studying the dog through the bars. The animal scoots back half a step, unsure, but doesn’t bare its teeth. Doesn’t bark. Just watches him.

“Too gentle,” Simon decides.

You gape. “You haven’t even—”

“Too gentle,” he repeats, standing again. “I need to know you’re not alone when I’m gone.”

Your expression softens despite yourself. “Simon…”

“I mean it,” he says quietly. “I hate leaving you. Hate it. And I can’t always—” He cuts himself off, jaw tightening. “Dog’s gotta be solid.”

You squeeze his arm. “I’m solid.”

“I know,” he says immediately. “Doesn’t change anything.”

You keep moving.

Every kennel stops you. Every dog earns at least a minute of your attention, your voice pitching soft and coaxing as you crouch, fingers slipping through bars, eyes bright.

Simon trails behind you, patient but unimpressed.

Too small.

Too jumpy.

Too old.

Too friendly.

“You are impossible,” you accuse after the fifth rejection.

“I’m picky,” he corrects.

“You’re impossible.”

He shrugs, unbothered. “Keeps me alive.”

You’re rounding the last corner when he stops walking, pulling you to a stop as well. Simon is staring. The kennel is quieter than the others, no barking or jumping. The dog inside sits squarely on the concrete, spine straight, head lifted. It’s a German Shepherd. Big, with dark coat, scarred muzzle and ripped ear. Looks like a mean fucker.

When Simon steps closer, the dog’s lips peel back. He bares his teeth in warning and stands, but doesn’t react any further. When Simon stops, he returns to looking at them rather neutrally.

“It’s alright,” Simon murmurs. He crouches slowly, keeping his movements deliberate and non-threatening. “Hey, mate.”

A shelter worker appears beside you, cautious. “That one’s… difficult.”

Simon doesn’t look away from the dog. “How so.”

“Ex-military,” she explains. “Handled by one person for most of his career and after retirement, until his handler passed. Family couldn’t handle him. Very obedient, alert, territorial... Doesn’t do well with most people.”

The dog’s gaze never leaves Simon.

“What’s his background?”

“Explosives detection. Two deployments, I think.” She glances at the dog cautiously. “Medical discharge after he broke both hind legs.”

Simon exhales through his nose. You look between them, heart starting to race. You’re seeing the same thing he is: a good match. “Simon…”

He reaches for the kennel card, and pauses. Staring at the dog’s name for a long moment, he huffs out an exasperated laugh. No way you’ll let the dog go once you see this. “Gotta be kidding me.”

You peer over his shoulder, read it, and blink. “…Oh my God,” you gasp. “Simon. His name is Riley.” Your hand flies to your mouth. “I’m obsessed.”

He snorts. “You would be.”

“I love him,” you declare immediately. “Simon, look at him. He’s perfect.”

“He snarled at me me,” he points out, even if he isn’t exactly bothered.

“That’s flirting. You do that too.”

He huffs a laugh despite himself. “He’s big. We’re in an apartment.”

“We were already thinking of getting a place with a garden.”

“He’s probably got issues.”

“So?”

“He bites.”

“So do you.”

He shoots you a deadpanned look. You grin, and send a little wink. Brat.

Simon stands slowly and sighs. He knows this is a done deal now. You’re just as in love with this pup as he is. “We're taking him home.”

The worker hesitates. “He doesn’t usually—”

“We're taking him,” he repeats pointedly and turns to the worker, who ducks her head and nods.

“I’ll get his leash and get started on the paperwork.”

Arms wrap around his chest as you press into Simon's side and look at the dog, still waiting patiently. “Welcome to the family, Riley.”