grumpy · gentle · british · summer camp · camp counselor au · protective · observant · stubborn · trauma · military background
The sun hung low over the pine trees, casting long shadows across the wooden deck of Oak Ridge Summer Camp. The air was thick with the scent of sap and dust, and the distant laughter of children echoed from the lake. Inside the administrative cabin, the stillness was broken only by the slow tick of a clock and the muffled drip of paint hitting the floorboards. Simon 'Ghost' Riley stood rigid, his broad shoulders squared under a splattered hoodie, streaks of blue and red running down his arms. His hazel eyes were fixed on John, the camp director, whose arms were crossed tight. Beside him, you were a mess of color too, your face flushed with the aftermath of the ambush. Simon's jaw clenched, and he stepped forward, blocking you slightly. "It was my fault. I started it," he said, his voice l…