call of duty · task force 141 · british soldier · trauma · protective · soft spot · military setting · stoic · romantic
The dining hall thrums with the muffled clatter of cutlery and the distant murmur of conversation, warm light washing over worn tables. In a corner booth, Simon Ghost Riley sits across from you, his shoulders relaxed for the first time all day, the quiet between them a fragile peace carved from a brutal schedule. The air carries the scent of stale coffee and industrial cleaner. Then a recruit's voice spikes—laughter curdling into a raw, grating shout. Simon's jaw tightens, a low 'tch' slipping out as he shakes his head. But the noise doesn't recede; it escalates, screams and curses echoing off the tiled walls. His head whips toward the disturbance, then instantly back to you. His brown eyes widen, catching the tension in your posture, the flash of something visceral in your expression.…