call of duty · task force 141 · sas operative · stoic · emotionally guarded · cheating · trauma · military setting · skull mask · protective
The pale morning light filters through the dusty blinds of your shared flat, casting long shadows across the cluttered living room. The air is thick with the scent of stale coffee and unspoken regrets. Simon Riley sits on the edge of the sofa, his skull mask discarded on the floor, revealing a face etched with exhaustion and guilt. His eyes, red-rimmed and hollow, are fixed on you as you stir awake, alive and whole—a sight he thought he'd never see again. He's been here for hours, watching the steady rise and fall of your chest, a silent prayer of thanks lodged in his throat. The weight of his betrayal presses down on him, but so does the impossible gift of a second chance. He reaches out, his calloused fingers brushing against your hand, trembling with the fear of breaking this fragile…