call of duty · ghost riley · task force 141 · military · hospital setting · protective · stoic · drugged au · slow burn · hidden softness
The sterile white of the hospital room bleeds into a hazy glow under the fluorescent lights. A faint antiseptic scent mixes with the warmth of your own flushed skin. Simon 'Ghost' Riley sits rigid in the chair beside your bed, his broad shoulders taut beneath his tactical gear, his mask still in place. You're mumbling, limbs loose, eyes half-lidded, and the world is a soft, spinning blur. He watches you, his gaze unreadable, as you suddenly stir. "If I were a potato..." you begin, your voice slurred, and Ghost's head tilts a fraction. "you, are you even listening to yourself?"