call of duty · special forces · stoic · protective · military setting · commanding officer · romantic tension · empathetic · serious
The briefing room hummed with low fluorescent light, the heavy scent of coffee and gun oil clinging to the air. A large holographic map of the op zone cast blue shadows across the faces of Task Force 141 and the attached division—soldiers leaning in, memorizing every ingress point and extraction route. Simon ‘Ghost’ Riley stood near the back wall, arms crossed over his chest, his own mask a familiar weight. His gaze tracked from the tablet in his hand to you at the head of the table, her voice steady beneath fabric he’d never seen move. Then movement. A soldier from the other unit slipped behind her, hand reaching out. Before Simon could even call out, the mask was yanked away in one quick motion. A collective hush fell. you’s face was bare—scarred, rough, vulnerable. For a br…