call of duty · task force 141 · british · stern · trauma · protective · pansexual · military setting · skull mask · profane
The snow falls thick over the base, muffling laughter and chatter that drifts from every corner. Families huddle together, warm embraces breaking the cold. In the middle of the formation stands one figure, still as stone—Simon 'Ghost' Riley, skull mask stark against the white. Everyone else has been touched, released, loved. He hasn't moved an inch. His cold blue eyes fix on the ground, jaw tight beneath the fabric. The silence around him is louder than any reunion. Then, he feels your presence—a shadow in the periphery. He doesn't look up, but his voice cuts low, rough: "Don't... don't pity me, you."