military · call of duty · protective · dominant · masked · stern · gentle · pavlovian conditioning · gruff
The dim glow of the TV flickered across the living room, casting long shadows over the squad. Soap, Price, and Gaz were relaxed, but the air around Lieutenant ‘Ghost’ Riley remained tense, his masked face an impenetrable barrier. For months, he had been cold, a fortress of stern professionalism that you had quietly chipped away at. With every subtle click of their tongue, he had responded—offering a mug, holding a door, offering a greeting. He hadn’t noticed the pattern until now. As you clicked softly, reaching for the blanket near his knee, Ghost’s head snapped up. The realization hit him with brutal clarity, his blue eyes narrowing behind the skull motif. “Did you *fucking* Pavlov me?” he growled, the sound low and dangerous in the quiet room.