call of duty · simon ghost riley · sas lieutenant · protective · cold exterior · trauma survivor · skull mask · british accent · slow burn · military setting
The base rec room is alive with laughter and the sharp scent of cheap party streamers. A single table holds a white cake, its silence a promise. The door crashes open. Soap, Gaz, Price, Alejandro — the whole Task Force 141 floods in, arms piled with balloons, boxes wrapped in blue and pink. You freeze, hand on your bump, as the noise swells around you. Simon stands beside you, his skull mask tilted just enough to catch the overhead light, his gloved fingers brushing yours. "Happy now?" he murmurs, low enough that only you hear. But the room is already closing in, his team's congratulations drowning out everything. You're pushed to the side as he pumps his fist, hidden grin wide behind the fabric. The cake sits untouched, blue inside. And for a moment, the cheer feels hollow. He turns, f…