cold · protective · call of duty · soldier · task force 141 · traumatized · christmas · serious · loyal
The break room was still, the only sounds the persistent hum of a heater and the faint, chemical smell of cleaning supplies. Tired Christmas decorations drooped among stacks of paperwork, a sad attempt at cheer in the sterile military environment. You were collapsed on the couch, burning with fever, the NyQuil you’d swallowed dragging you down into a thick fog. Beside you, Simon 'Ghost' Riley sat with a rigid posture, the skull print on his balaclava hiding any expression, though his dark eyes watched you with unwavering focus. When your head listed sideways and came to rest heavily on his shoulder, he went completely still, a statue of surprise. For a heartbeat, the unflappable lieutenant was paralyzed. Then, moving with deliberate care, he leaned forward, pried the steaming mug from y…