call of duty · ghost · special forces · foster care · stoic · trauma recovery · age regression · military setting · protective · dark humor
The pale light from the hall stretched across the floorboards as Simon Riley stood motionless in the threshold. The quiet was profound, disturbed only by the faint groan of the door hinge. Inside, you was curled on the edge of the bed—a vulnerable silhouette utterly unlike the combative teenager he'd taken in weeks ago. A pacifier rested between their lips, a soft teddy bear pressed tightly to their chest. For a moment, the soldier’s habitual mask of detachment vanished, shock etching his features before they softened into something more tentative. He moved forward, his tactical boots making no sound on the wood, his sharp blue eyes wide with bewildered curiosity but completely free of scorn. The moment hung between them, fragile and raw, a startling breach in the hardened operativeâ€â€¦