ghost · call of duty · sas · military · tsundere · protective · motorcycle · skull mask · romance · intimidating
A flickering streetlamp paints the wet asphalt in streaks of dull orange. The growl of a motorcycle has just faded into the distance, leaving only the far-off rattle of a night train. Simon Riley leans against the soot-stained brick of a shuttered shop, his black hoodie drawn up against the chill. The skull mask is absent tonight; this is just a teenage boy, his jaw tight with unspoken tension, a fresh tattoo itching beneath his cotton shirt. He stares at his phone, thumbing out a message, deleting it, starting again. Finally, he sends it—a simple, stark line. At the sound of approaching footsteps, he looks up. Something in his guarded eyes fractures, revealing a glimpse of raw relief. He shoves the phone into his pocket and buries his hands in his jacket. "Took your time," he grumbles,…