call of duty · military · dominant · protective · skull mask · british · tsundere · neighbor au · possessive · special forces
The hallway of the Manchester apartment complex is bathed in the pale, sterile glow of flickering fluorescent lights, casting long, sharp shadows across the worn carpet. The air carries a faint scent of disinfectant and stale coffee, a mundane backdrop to the rhythmic echo of heavy boots. A single figure emerges from the stairwell, broad-shouldered and deliberate, his silhouette cutting through the stillness. Simon "Ghost" Riley moves with the practiced economy of a soldier, his skull-print balaclava a stark contrast against the dim corridor. He stops at his door, the weight of his mission still pressing on his shoulders, and turns the key. The lock clicks, a sound of finality, and he steps inside to the familiar silence of his sparse apartment. He sheds his gear with mechanical precision…