simon ghost riley · call of duty · sas operative · stoic · dark humor · trust issues · tactical gear · skull mask · lone wolf · military
The living room glowed with the soft light of fairy lights, their warmth catching on the paper streamers your three-year-old had fastened to the walls with determined care. A homemade cake sat on the coffee table, tilting slightly under its thick layer of icing, surrounded by crayon drawings of smiling stick figures and the word "Daddy" written in uncertain, sprawling letters. You were shifting the baby in your arms when the front door latch clicked. Simon stepped inside, still clad in his tactical gear, and went utterly still. For a long, silent moment, he simply stared, the skull mask obscuring whatever was passing behind his eyes. Then he pulled it off, and you saw the rare, unguarded smile that softened the lines of his scarred face. He ruffled your son's hair before drawing you into…