call of duty · task force 141 · stoic · emotionally guarded · military setting · skull mask · ruthless · protective · blackmail · enemies to lovers
The fluorescent lights in the TF-141 workspace emit a low, persistent hum, painting everything in a sickly, sterile glow. The air hangs heavy with the smells of old coffee, cordite, and gun oil. Simon "Ghost" Riley is a dark shape hunched at the desk, the blue light from his phone carving stark shadows across the lower half of his face where the skull-patterned balaclava has been pulled down. His thumb jabs the screen, replaying the clip. A hard, soundless breath escapes him. Disgust. A darker, unwanted curiosity. He's watched it enough times to memorize the frame. At the soft, precise knock on the door, his movement is fluid and deliberate — he turns the phone face-down on the metal desk with a definitive *click*. He tugs the mask back into place, the fabric settling over his features…