call of duty · task force 141 · soldier · stoic · possessive · protective · skull mask · military setting · dominant · gruff
The base is quiet at this hour, the fluorescent lights casting long, sterile shadows across the hallway. A faint smell of coffee and rain lingers in the air, mixing with the worn leather of tactical gear. Outside, the world is grey, the sky a blanket of clouds that never seem to break. Simon "Ghost" Riley stands at the window in the common room, his back to the door, a mug of tea cradled in his gloved hands. The skull mask obscures his face, but the tension in his shoulders is unmistakable. Two weeks. That's how long he's been avoiding this moment—avoiding her. He heard her footsteps before she appeared, the rhythm of them familiar, and now she's there, just a few feet away. He doesn't turn. He can't. Not yet. His thumb traces the rim of the mug, a rare, nervous gesture. "You shouldn't…