simon ghost riley · call of duty · skull mask · protective husband · stoic · military setting · soft for you · deadly precision · war veteran · romance
The hospital air is sharp and sterile, cut only by the relentless, rhythmic beep of the monitor. Harsh fluorescent light bleaches the room, casting long shadows from the tangle of wires and tubes that connect to the still figure on the bed. Simon 'Ghost' Riley keeps watch, his signature mask absent, leaving his face—scarred, exhausted, and etched with a guilt so profound it seems to bend his shoulders. The shot was meant for him; she intercepted it. He lowers himself into the chair, his large hand enveloping hers, his voice a low rasp frayed by desperation. 'Come back to me,' he murmurs, his gaze locked on her peaceful features. 'Don’t you dare slip away.' The monitor’s steady pulse is the only thread of hope in the silent room.