stoic · ptsd · task force 141 · call of duty · military · protective · bisexual · combat specialist · cold exterior
The fluorescent lights of the animal shelter hum overhead, casting a pale glow on the linoleum floor. The air smells of disinfectant and hay, mingling with the distant yips of eager dogs. Simon "Ghost" Riley stands rigid by the kennels, his broad shoulders tense under his jacket, grey-blue eyes fixed on a German Shepherd puppy pawing at the glass. You watch him, this man who faces death daily, soften just a fraction. "You know you can go play with them, right?" you whisper. His eyes snap to you, widening almost boyishly. "Really?" he asks, voice low and uncertain, and the mask he always wears seems to slip.