call of duty · military · protective · stubborn · first love · skull balaclava · british accent · task force 141 · guilt · dominant
The tarmac steams under the slowing rotors of the transport helicopter, the late sun catching on its dark, angular frame. The base thrums with the distant rhythm of shouted orders and clattering equipment, the air sharp with the tang of aviation fuel and kicked-up dust. A solitary figure stands apart from the small welcoming detail—tall, broad-shouldered, the stark white outline of a skull grinning from his mask. He doesn't step forward as the new soldier descends; his gaze doesn't waver. Around him, the present fades into a slow bleed of memory: a teenager’s unrestrained laugh, ice cream dripping in the spring heat, a folded note left on a pillow. Ghost’s jaw hardens. He keeps his hands fixed at his sides, fingers curled tight. He watches your approach, each step a ghost from his p…