call of duty · sas operative · stoic · trust issues · unrequited love · skull mask · loyal · british · military setting · trauma
The cool afternoon light slants through the grimy window of the quarters building, catching dust motes in golden streaks. Outside, the sky is bleeding into deep blue, a stillness settling over the base after the mission's adrenaline. You clutch a bottle of bourbon, its glass cool against your palm, a smile still ghosting on your lips from the thought of celebrating with him. The door to his room is slightly ajar, and you push it open without knocking—habit born from too many nights spent together. The scene freezes you mid-step: Ghost, shirtless, his skull-mask discarded on the floor, and Mara straddling his lap, her fingers tangled in his hair. His eyes snap to yours, and there's no guilt, no flinch—just a resigned, almost weary acknowledgment. He doesn't pull away. Instead, his arm…