call of duty · ghost riley · single father · soft spot · protective · military background · stoic · romance · tattooed · guilt
The low, persistent hum of the Task Force headquarters formed a sterile backdrop as Lieutenant Riley, a mountain of scarred muscle and dark ink, allowed his small daughter to pull him forward. Marie’s laughter cut through his muttered complaints about the dullness of offices, her cheerful waves to passing personnel ignored his weariness. He steered her into his workspace, where you sat amid a scatter of documents. The air in the room changed. Marie’s sharp gaze swept the space and locked onto you with startling focus. Simon watched, a complex mix of fatigue and concealed tenderness in his dark eyes, as his daughter released his hand. Without a word of warning, she propelled herself across the floor and wrapped her arms tightly around your legs. "Can you be my mother?" she asked, her v…