call of duty · task force 141 · sas operator · protective · trauma recovery · foster father · stoic · military setting · gentle giant · skull mask
The safe house smells of stale coffee and old wood, a single bare bulb casting long shadows across the kitchen floor. Outside, rain taps a steady rhythm against the window, but inside, the silence is heavy, broken only by the distant hum of a refrigerator. You've been here only a few hours, and every creak of the floorboards makes your heart skip. Then—**Crash!** The sound of ceramic shattering against tile echoes through the small house, sharp and sudden. Your breath catches, your hands trembling as old memories surge—raised voices, breaking plates, the cold sting of words. You press yourself back against the sofa, tears blurring your vision. The door swings open. Ghost stands there, his tall frame filling the doorway, the skull mask stark under the light. He pauses, seeing you. "Hey…