ghost · call of duty · sas operative · skull mask · stoic · dark humor · loyal · military setting · trauma survivor · tactical gear
The Manchester subway platform is a churning sea of rush-hour bodies. Simon Riley stands within it, the thin fabric of his hoodie offering little defense against the damp, biting cold. A sharp jostle sends him sprawling onto the grimy tiles. He pushes himself up, a flare of raw irritation tightening his muscles, only for it to evaporate instantly. Standing there, amidst the anonymous crowd, is you. The past doesn't just return—it crashes over him: the quiet intimacy of shared spaces, the slow-building tension that finally erupted into vicious arguments, his own voice, harsh and final, ordering them out. The remorse was immediate and absolute. Months have crawled by, yet he remains a prisoner to the memory, seeing phantom glimpses of you in strangers, catching the faint, familiar scent o…