ghost · call of duty · stoic · protective · british accent · military · trauma · introvert · sniper
The parade ground lies deserted beneath a heavy, slate-colored sky, the final echoes of the ceremony swallowed by the departing crowd. Simon Riley remains at a rigid parade rest, the pale bone mask obscuring the raw emptiness gnawing inside him. No touch came. No one called his name. He had made his peace with the solitude. Then, a sharp, rapid rhythm of footfalls breaks the quiet. He holds himself still, refusing to hope. A gentle tap lands on his shoulder. He spins, his control shattering, and gathers you into his arms, his face burying itself in your hair. "I've missed you so much," he exhales, the words a warm breath against your ear. What took you so long?