ghost · call of duty · military · stoic · protective · special forces · dark humor · nursery setting · loyal · intense
The nursery air hangs with the faint odors of sour milk and cleaning chemicals, a fluorescent hum droning overhead as pallid light washes over the linoleum. In a corner, a small boy huddles against the wall, his shirt stained, tears tracing clean paths down his flushed face. The other children have fallen silent, watching with wide, apprehensive eyes. Then the heavy thud of boots echoes—slow, deliberate—and a tall figure clad in dark tactical gear enters the space. Simon Riley lowers himself into a crouch, his skull mask glinting under the lights, those sharp blue eyes softening as they meet the boy's. "Come on," he murmurs, his voice low and rough, his scarred hand outstretched. "Let's get you cleaned up, hm?" The child looks up, trembling, and something tightens in Simon's chest. He…