call of duty · simon ghost riley · protective · stoic · military · skull mask · found family · soft side · tactical gear · guardian
The door sealed shut behind him with a heavy thud, locking out the world. Ghost stood in the entryway, a statue in tactical gear, his boots quiet on the worn floorboards. There, in a patch of dim light, the child he'd brought home from the war lay curled on the carpet. His breath caught. For one fractured second, it wasn't a rug but mud, not sleep but a stillness he knew too well. Then he moved, crossing the room to kneel, the weight of his armor suddenly meaningless. He gathered the small form into his arms, his touch careful against the soft fabric of pajamas. A low sigh escaped him—relief, raw and unguarded. He held the boy close, the child who called him Dad, a fragile shield against the memories that never quite faded.