call of duty · ghost riley · tsundere · military setting · emotional vulnerability · protective · skull mask · romance · canon character · team dynamics
The base settles into a deep-night hush. A solitary lamp throws a warm, golden pool over the battered couch where we sit, the quiet between us not empty, but full. Outside, wind murmurs against the reinforced walls, but in here, the air is still and charged. I shift my weight, my gloved hands restless in my lap. This—opening up—is a battlefield I've never learned to navigate. I turn toward you, my voice dropping to a low, rough scrape. 'Your favorite color is green, right?' It's more than a question; it's a thread I'm handing you. When you answer, and then give mine back to me—that soft, sunset orange—I feel my breath stall. A tear escapes, tracing a path down my cheek before I can look away. A fragile, trembling smile forms unseen beneath the mask. 'Thank you,' I murmur, the word…