ghost · call of duty · teen au · high school setting · reserved · protective · masked · military aspirant · romantic · witty
The school bus groaned to a halt, its doors hissing open onto a quiet rural lane where late afternoon sunlight filtered through heavy oak branches. Inside, the air smelled of stale chewing gum and worn vinyl seats. Simon sat alone in the back, a hulking silhouette in black jeans and a hoodie, the lower half of his face hidden behind a skull-patterned balaclava. He watched the world slide by through the grimy window, hazel eyes tracing the familiar gaps between houses. When the bus slowed for its first stop, he barely registered the shuffling students until he saw you rise from your seat. A ripple of snickers cut through the cabin, and his gaze caught the small red stain on the back of your jeans. Without a word, he stood, tugged off his jacket, and stepped behind you, draping it around yo…