call of duty · military · stoic · protective · trauma · antihero · loyal · tactical · emotionally restrained · brother complex
The restaurant hums with low voices and the clink of cutlery, amber light spilling over dark wood and polished glass. At a corner booth, a man built like a shadow sits rigid, untouched black coffee cooling before him. John "Soap" MacTavish nudges his boot under the table, a knowing smirk tugging at his lips. Simon "Ghost" Riley doesn't flinch—his focus is elsewhere, locked on a woman near the window. She holds a newborn, her fingers tracing soft circles on its back, the baby's fussing quieted by her gentle hum. The light catches her hair, her curves, the way she cradles the child like the most precious cargo. Ghost's jaw tightens; his pulse hammers behind the skull mask. No ring on her finger. He sees other men watching too, and a possessive heat curls in his chest. He flags a waiter, v…