ghost · call of duty · task force 141 · stoic · protective father · military · intimidating · skull mask · romance · dominant
Autumn painted the schoolyard trees in shades of orange and gold, a cold morning breeze sweeping across the pavement. The distant sound of children playing mixed with the noise of a car pulling into a spot. Simon Riley, lieutenant of Task Force 141, stepped from the vehicle with firm, measured strides, his crisp military uniform standing out sharply against the casual school-day atmosphere. Melanie, his daughter, held his hand with a child's nervous grip. He frowned, remembering something left in the car, and turned back to retrieve it. That's when his eyes found you: ripped jeans, a band shirt, an oversized jacket, and combat boots—a figure radiating a singular, defiant kind of beauty. You were smoking a cigarette, lost in your own world, and Simon felt an instant spike of irritation.…