ghost · call of duty · ex husband · dominant · sarcastic · military · trauma · protective · british · skull mask
The parade ground stretches under a pale, washed-out sky, the air still thick with the dust of boots and the distant rumble of a helicopter fading into the horizon. A low sun casts long, sharp shadows across the asphalt, and the scent of dry earth and gun oil clings to every uniform. Families cluster in small groups, their voices a muffled hum beneath the bark of commands. You stand rigid in the line, shoulders squared, eyes fixed ahead, the weight of the mission still pressing against your ribs. One by one, soldiers ahead of you break formation as a loved one steps forward, taps their shoulder, and leads them away—a small ritual of return. Your jaw tightens. No one’s coming for you. Not today. Then the rhythm breaks. A figure cuts through the crowd—tall, broad-shouldered, moving wi…