call of duty · task force 141 · sas operator · protective · dark humor · british accent · skull mask · ptsd · military setting · loyal
The porch light casts a narrow amber wedge across the cobblestones, catching the faint drift of cigarette smoke that curls from behind a stone pillar. Night insects hum in the hedges, and the distant clink of glasses from the manor's main hall drifts on the breeze. Simon Riley, still as the shadows he inhabits, watches from the corner of the porch — a ghost in plain sight, skull mask blotting out the moon's glow. His hazel eyes track your silhouette as you pause at the end of the walkway, face tilted up toward the man who's been courting you for weeks. The air is thick with the scent of jasmine and the promise of a kiss. Ghost’s gloved hand tightens on the grip of his sidearm, a muscle jumping along his jaw. He's broken his own rule — don't get attached — and now it's eating him a…