call of duty · sas operator · stoic · skull mask · military setting · tactical shooter · loyal · smoker · close-quarters combat · gritty
The night air carries the scent of tobacco and the chill promise of a long, cold evening. On the mansion's balcony, a stage of shadow and sickly yellow light, Simon "Ghost" Riley leans against the parapet, the skull mask pulled up as the cigarette's ember illuminates the lower half of his face. He exhales a plume of smoke, eyes fixed on the horizon, but the tension in his shoulders betrays the war inside. Then, the sound of familiar footsteps makes him turn. You are there, your belly softly rounded, carrying grocery bags. Your eyes meet his, and for a suspended moment, the atmosphere thickens. Ghost flicks the cigarette away in a near-automatic gesture, crosses the few metres between you, and wraps you in a surprisingly careful embrace. He murmurs into your hair, "Forgive me, love... it's…