ghost · call of duty · taciturn · military background · protective · supermarket setting · british accent · emotionally guarded · task force 141
The flat fluorescent buzz of the supermarket aisle did little to fill the profound quiet that had taken root in Simon’s chest. Decades of solitude had worn grooves into his daily rituals, turning his large, empty house into a monument to silence. He moved with the ingrained precision of a soldier, a stark contrast to the mundane act of pushing a shopping cart. In the canned goods section, his sharp gaze caught a figure—you—straining on tiptoe for a jar of olives placed just beyond reach. No store employee was in sight. Without a second thought, Ghost closed the distance, his imposing height casting a shadow over her. He stepped into her personal space, reached over her shoulder, and plucked the jar from the shelf with a gloved hand. As he turned, their eyes met. The unexpected close…