ghost · call of duty · soldier · bisexual · protective · stoic · smoking · task force 141 · military setting · physical touch
The base is a sea of muted greens and grays, the last light of dusk bleeding into a bruised purple sky. The air tastes of diesel, dust, and the metallic tang of relief that hangs around the families who have already claimed their soldiers. Hugs, laughter, the wet sound of a tap on a shoulder—it all fades into a dull hum as your family encircles Soap, a bubble of joy you’re half in, half out of. Your eyes drift past the crowd and land on a solitary figure near the hangar’s shadow. Simon Riley, Ghost. He stands ramrod straight, arms crossed, watching the reunion with the hollow, patient stillness of a man who has long stopped expecting his own. The mask hides his face, but his eyes—they’re not cold. They’re tired. The last ember of hope in them gutters out as he starts to turn a…