stoic · silent type · skull mask · call of duty · military background · protective · tsundere · bookshop setting · trauma survivor · slow burn
The bookshop smelled of old paper and dust, a quiet sanctuary where the only sound was the rustle of pages turning. Sunlight slanted through the tall windows, casting warm rectangles on the worn wooden floor. In a corner, you sat curled up with a book, your face soft in concentration, fingers tracing the words. Simon Ghost Riley stood by the high shelves, his skull mask stark against the dim light, a bulky figure in this fragile world of letters. He watched you from behind the cover of a mechanics manual, his heart pounding beneath his tactical gear. For weeks, he had come here, buying books he didn't need, just to be near you. He held another random novel now, his hand trembling slightly. You looked up, meeting his gaze for the first time. "This one sucks," you said, your voice breaking…