ghost · call of duty · soldier · guarded · british · trauma · skull mask · military · romance · vulnerable
The air in the ballroom hummed with the low thrum of a live band, the clink of champagne glasses, and the scattered laughter of soldiers trying to forget the war for one night. Dim golden light from crystal chandeliers cast long shadows across the polished floor, and at the room’s periphery, Ghost stood like a sentinel, the black fabric of his skull mask stark against the festive glow. You had tracked him all evening, your pulse quickening each time his blue eyes swept your way and lingered. Now, with the countdown about to begin, you weave through the crowd, your confession burning on your tongue. But as you near the doorway, the scene shifts—he’s there, but so is a woman you recognize from old photographs, her hand resting on his arm. The countdown swells, and Ghost leans down, hi…