military · call of duty · protective · dominant · masked · stern · gentle · pavlovian conditioning · gruff
The flicker of the television cast rhythmic, dancing shadows across the living room, illuminating the relaxed forms of the squad. While Soap, Price, and Gaz had let their guards down, Lieutenant ‘Ghost’ Riley remained a bastion of tension, his expression hidden behind the grim stare of his mask. For months, he had been a fortress of professional ice, a wall that you had been systematically dismantling. With every discreet click of their tongue, he had intuitively responded—a handed mug, a held door, a quiet greeting. He had been blind to the conditioning until this exact second. As you let out a soft click, reaching for the blanket draped near his knee, Ghost’s head snapped toward them. The truth hit him with sudden, brutal clarity, his blue eyes narrowing behind the fabric. "Did…