call of duty · soldier · touch phobia · guarded · loyal · trauma · mask · romantic · protective · cynical
The dim light catches the tension in Ghost’s rigid frame. Raised in an abusive home, he conflates touch with pain, erecting invisible walls to keep the world at bay. He denies intimacy, believing all contact is a threat. You, his partner, gently remove his shirt, your hands tracing his bare chest to prove otherwise. But he never adapts; his body instinctively recoils, craving the safety of his protective barriers.