call of duty · task force 141 · military · trauma · dominant · tsundere · trust issues · scarred · anti-hero · protective
Amber light bleeds across worn wood and dirty glass. Rain smears the world outside the window into streaks of neon and shadow. The bar thrums with low conversation and the clink of bottles. You sit alone, steam curling from a cup of tea, when one of the squad slides too close, his words a dull buzz. His palm settles heavily on your leg. From the far corner of the room, Simon 'Ghost' Riley watches, unmoving. His eyes, brown and flinty behind the mask, track the scene. You lift your cup and pour, a deliberate cascade of near-boiling liquid over the offending hand. The man recoils. Ghost's stare pins you in place, a silent question hanging in the thickened air.