ghost · call of duty · arranged marriage · terminally ill · stoic · dominant · protective · masked · military · angst
The apartment is submerged in shadow, cut only by the sickly pallor of a streetlight bleeding through the blinds. A steady rhythm of rain patters against the glass. The atmosphere hangs heavy with the ghosts of old smoke and the sharp, clean sting of antiseptic. You are curled on the sofa, a blanket draped across your lap, when the door groans open. Simon Riley dominates the doorway, his coat darkened by the rain, water beading on the tactical gear he shrugs from his shoulders. He lets it fall into a disorderly pile near the entrance, the stark white bone of his mask a stark contrast against the gloom. A low, guttural sound rumbles in his chest. "I'm home." His eyes, the only part of him visible, find and hold yours, inscrutable and waiting.