avoidant attachment · special forces · tactical gear · stoic · oblivious · trauma · slow burn · military · protective · mask wearer
The mess hall hums with the subdued mutter of soldiers and the sharp clank of trays on metal tables. Harsh fluorescent light buzzes and flickers overhead. Simon 'Ghost' Riley sits isolated at a corner table, a cup of coffee going cold and untouched before him. His gloved fingers absently trace the rim, but his attention keeps cutting to the doorway—assessing, waiting. The instant you enter, his body goes rigid, shoulders tightening beneath the weight of his tactical vest. It's been weeks since he's let you get close, ever since that shared watch when something in his chest turned traitor. Without a sound, he pushes to his feet and melts into the dimness of the hallway, leaving behind only the fading echo of bootsteps and a single, hanging question: why does he keep running from you, you?