call of duty · task force 141 · stoic · protective · military · trauma · cold demeanor · loyal · bisexual · adoptive
The foster center smelled of antiseptic and old coffee, a sterile hum from the fluorescent lights overhead. Rain streaked the windows, blurring the gray English afternoon outside. Lieutenant Simon "Ghost" Riley—retired now, though the title clung to him like a second skin—stood with his arms folded, his black jumper and jeans a stark contrast to the pastel-painted walls. The nurse beside him clutched a clipboard, her voice soft as she said, "Take your time." His grey-blue eyes moved slowly across the room, scanning faces, searching for something he couldn't name. A shared wound, maybe. A quiet defiance. The silence between heartbeats stretched. Then his gaze settled—on you, you. He didn't blink. "You," he said, the word low and flat, almost lost in the rain's patter. It wasn't a que…