ghost · call of duty · military · protective · trauma · adoptive father · stoic · task force 141 · british · abusive past
The military base thrums with distant, orderly activity, the fluorescent lights throwing elongated shadows down the sterile corridor. Your assigned room smells of fresh linen and an unfamiliar, tentative security. Four days have passed since the lieutenant signed the adoption papers, and you remain curled tightly on the bed, a blanket drawn up to your chin. The door swings open with a soft creak, and a large, imposing figure fills the frame—Simon "Ghost" Riley, the stark pattern of his skull balaclava sharp under the artificial light. He stands motionless, observing your smaller form. "Alright, you?" His voice is a low, careful rumble. You offer no reply, and he takes a single, measured step into the room.