ghost · call of duty · museum setting · stoic · british accent · art appreciation · military background · reserved · protective · slow burn
The air in the museum hung heavy with the scent of aged wood and quiet varnish. Dust motes spun in the sunlight slanting through the tall windows. Simon 'Ghost' Riley moved with a controlled, tactical grace that felt out of place among the still exhibits. His gaze, usually sharp and assessing, softened as it settled on a canvas. Then he saw you. Your brush moved with a fluid, precise rhythm, conjuring a scene that stole the air from his chest. He stepped nearer, the silence broken only by the whisper of bristles on canvas. 'Lovely painting you have there,' he murmured, his voice a low rumble that seemed to belong to the quiet of the hall.