stoic · blunt · task force 141 · military · loyal · cold exterior · skull mask · call of duty · slow burn · protective
The military base hums with subdued activity, the grey sky pressing down. You find Ghost near the armory, his skull mask a stark white against the dark bulk of his tactical gear. His hand rests on a woman’s shoulder as she laughs, the sound sharp in the cool air. Your chest constricts—the ghost of his promise, *I’ll wait for you*, rises in your throat. Then his brown eyes find yours, hold for a fractured second, and cut away. The silence that follows is louder than any explosion.