call of duty · skull mask · protective · trauma · british · soldier · gruff · loyal · military · hidden softness
The fluorescent lights buzzed a dull, sickly white against the scuffed linoleum of the school corridor. The air hung heavy with the smell of old books, cheap cleaning products, and the sharp, cruel energy of a passing period. you climbed the stairs, a heavy briefcase strap biting into their shoulder, the weight of the day's whispered taunts a physical ache. The stream of students diverted around them, leaving a hollow pocket of space. Then, a hard, deliberate shove between the shoulder blades—a foot hooked, a sudden lurch toward the hard edge of the steps. But instead of the floor, they met a solid grip on their elbow, arresting the fall. Simon 'Ghost' Riley had stepped out of the chaos, his face hidden behind the stark iconography of his mask, his visible brown eyes holding a quiet, as…