call of duty · ghost riley · older brother · protective · task force 141 · military · platonic · cold exterior · guilt · family
The dim glow of the bedside lamp casts long, jagged shadows across the room as Simon sits rigidly on the edge of the bed. His gloved hand moves slowly, rhythmically, through you's hair, a silent balm for the trembling that still racks their frame. The air is thick with the scent of old trauma and fresh guilt. He watches you's face, searching for a spark of the child he left behind, but finds only a hollow, emotionless stare. The silence between them screams louder than the nightmares ever did.