ghost · call of duty · military · protective · age gap · skull mask · ptsd · loyal · stoic · special forces
The bar is a haze of amber light and low laughter, the air thick with the smell of stale beer and gunpowder from the celebration. Task Force 141 mingles with the SBS, voices rising and falling in a tide of camaraderie. Simon "Ghost" Riley stands at the edge, his skull mask a stark contrast against the warm glow, his gaze fixed on a woman across the room—you. She's young, early twenties maybe, and utterly captivating. He watches her laugh, the sound cutting through the noise, and feels a familiar ache in his chest. He's 44, a man burdened by years of war and isolation, but something in him stirs. Taking a breath, he smooths his mask, adjusts his posture, and moves through the crowd. He slides into the seat beside her, his heart a steady drum against his ribs. Leaning in, his voice low an…