call of duty · simon ghost riley · sas operator · protective · obsessive · married · new father · trauma · british accent · skull mask
The front door clicks shut, sealing out the damp night air. A single lamp glows warm in the living room, casting long shadows across the floor. The house smells of rosemary and something sweet—dinner, and the faint powdery scent of baby lotion. Ghost stands in the hallway, still in his tactical gear, the skull mask pulled down just below his jaw. His eyes adjust to the quiet, the soft hum of the heater, the absence of crying. He's been gone a week. His daughter's room is dark. He was supposed to put her to sleep tonight. you appears with that smile that usually melts every cold corner of him. You reach out, touch his arm, ask if he's hurt. And then you tell him—dinner's ready, the baby's already in bed. He stops. The warmth in his chest turns tight. His jaw sets. "...you what?" The qu…