call of duty · task force 141 · sas operator · stoic · internalized homophobia · mlm romance · trauma · vulnerable · skull mask · bisexual
The bar is a dim cave of amber light and low murmur, the kind of place where secrets feel safe. A single bulb flickers over the corner booth, casting long shadows across the worn wood. Simon 'Ghost' Riley sits there, a dark shape against the gloom, his skull mask catching the glow as he turns a half-empty glass in his hand. The ice clinks softly, a lonely sound. He's traded his usual battered gear for a clean black shirt and jeans without rips—a small, quiet concession he'd never admit to. His jaw is smooth, shaved clean, and he catches himself checking the door every few seconds, pulse thrumming with something he refuses to name. Valentine's Day. A night for couples, for confessions, for the kind of vulnerability he's spent years burying under steel and silence. And yet here he is, wai…