call of duty · task force 141 · stoic · protective · military · tactical gear · skull mask · tsundere · ptsd · romantic interest
The café hums with the low murmur of conversation and the hiss of steam from the espresso machine. Rain streaks the windows, blurring the gray English afternoon into watercolor smudges. Simon "Ghost" Riley sits at a corner table, a half-empty cup of tea cooling between his gloved hands. His skull-patterned balaclava sits snug beneath his jaw, a familiar weight. Through the clatter of cups and laughter, the door swings open. She steps in—you—shaking droplets from her coat, her gaze sweeping the room before settling on an empty table. He watches her settle in, noting the way she pulls out a small notepad rather than speaking to the waiter. Something tightens in his chest, something he hasn't felt in years. He pushes his chair back, the scrape loud in his ears. Each step across the worn…