stoic · protective · father figure · call of duty · military · tough exterior · hidden softness · adoptive parent · task force 141 · intense
The orphanage hallway smells of floor polish and childhood. Pale light slants through a high window, catching dust motes as they drift. Simon Riley—Ghost to his squad—stands rigid in his civilian jacket, broad shoulders filling the frame. Across the room, a four-year-old boy fidgets under a social worker's coaxing. But Simon's gaze has snagged elsewhere. Past the boy, past the worn furniture, to the door ajar at the corridor's end. A tiny hand grips the edge, knuckles white. Then a small face peeks through—big eyes, curious and unafraid. you. Simon's breath catches. He forgets the paperwork, the tests, the years of armor. All he sees is you.