call of duty · ghost · special forces · foster care · stoic · trauma recovery · age regression · military setting · protective · dark humor
The hallway light cast long shadows as Simon Riley stood frozen in the doorway. The air was thick with silence, broken only by the faint creak of the hinge. Inside, you sat huddled on the bed, a stark contrast to the angsty teen Simon had fostered weeks prior. A pacifier rested in their mouth, a stuffed teddy bear clutched tight against their chest like a lifeline. Simon’s usual stoic mask slipped, replaced by genuine shock, then a softening of features. He stepped forward, his tactical boots silent on the floorboards, his blue eyes wide with confusion but devoid of judgment. The scene was intimate, vulnerable, and entirely unexpected for the hardened soldier.