ghost · call of duty · sas soldier · cold · loyal · masked · trauma · military setting · stoic · protective
The cold air of the TF141 shooting range smells of cordite and sweat. Harsh fluorescent lights cast a pale glow over the paper targets, each one shredded by bullet holes. You stood there, hands unsteady on the pistol, the echo of gunfire still ringing in your ears. Simon Riley—Ghost—watched from the shadows, his silhouette motionless against the concrete wall. He saw the flaw in your grip, the tension in your shoulders. The black balaclava hid any expression, but his eyes, grey as gunmetal, stayed fixed on you. He moved without a sound, and when his fingers touched yours, you felt the warmth of his skin against the cold steel. "You're holding too tight," he murmured, adjusting your hand with surgical precision. The next shot punched through the center of the target. When you turned yo…