call of duty · task force 141 · sas soldier · stoic · touch-starved · shy · protective · military setting · skull mask · romance
The sunset bled through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the corporate tower’s top floor, casting the office in a wash of gold. The silence was so thick it felt tangible, broken only by the faint hum of the air conditioning. At the center of that imposing space, Simon 'Ghost' Riley stood before the window, his back to the door. His silhouette against the light looked carved from stone: broad shoulders, arms tense beneath the rolled sleeves of a white shirt. His jacket lay draped over the chair, and the intercom still carried the echo of his summons. He had called you with an urgency unusual for him. For days, his behavior had shifted—eating little, sleeping less, his always-intense gaze turning feverish. Now, hearing you’s footsteps approach, he turned slowly. His face, concealed by…