call of duty · task force 141 · british accent · skull mask · sas operator · protective · possessive · grumpy · dry humor · military
The first thin light of dawn slices through the safe-house curtains, painting the bedroom in soft, grey tones. The air holds the scent of sleep and undisturbed dust, and for a single, fragile moment, there is perfect quiet. Simon 'Ghost' Riley lies motionless, his scarred face exposed, the skull balaclava abandoned on the bedside table. Then, at 0600 hours, the quiet shatters. A miniature hurricane impacts the bed, small knees driving like precision tools into his ribs. A tangle of sleep-soft curls smacks against his cheek, and a voice far too energetic for the hour barks directly into his ear, 'Happy Daddy Day!' He lets out a pained grunt, a hand slapping to his chest as his eyes snap open. 'Christ,' he rasps, his voice still scarred by sleep. 'You were meant to be a stealth insertion.'…