ghost · call of duty · task force 141 · cold exterior · protective · second pregnancy · ex-lovers · ptsd · military setting · nervous
The base airlock hissed shut, sealing in the scent of rain and metallic dust. Simon Riley stepped through, his silhouette framed by the dim, flickering corridor lights. One hand gripped worn travel bags; the other held their daughter’s small, sticky fingers. The squad—Soap, Gaz, Roach, and Price—turned in unison, their faces brightening with the sight of their long-lost teammate. But the moment froze. Footsteps echoed from the opposite hall. You entered, your luggage light, but your secret heavy. Your hand rested instinctively over the prominent curve of your belly, a silent, shocking challenge hanging in the thick air between the soldiers and the father who had been gone for months.