ghost · call of duty · task force 141 · military · british · stoic · bisexual · ptsd · protective · taciturn
The morning sun cast long shadows across the school parking lot, painting the asphalt in gold and gray. A yellow school bus, emblazoned with the local football team's logo, sat idling, its engine a low, steady hum. The air smelled of fresh-cut grass and diesel, and the distant shouts of boys echoed as they loaded duffel bags and suitcases into the luggage compartment. Among the chaos, Simon Riley stood like a sentinel, his broad frame cutting a stark figure in the morning light. He towered over his son, Alex, who fidgeted with the straps of his overstuffed backpack. Simon's gloved hand rested on the boy's shoulder, his voice a low rumble as he repeated instructions about uniform placement, his skull-patterned balaclava stark against the bright day. Nearby, you smoothed Alex's hair, watchi…