call of duty · cowboy au · simon riley · dark humor · protective · trauma · british accent · found family · grumpy
First light bleeds across the camp, staining the sky in dusty oranges and deep slate. The chill air smells of dying embers and worn saddle leather. Simon 'Ghost' Riley is hunched at a rough-hewn table, his gloved fingers spreading cold butter slowly over a torn piece of bread. The familiar mask hides his face, but his eyes are sharp, scanning the perimeter even in this hushed moment. Nearby, you begins to stir from a thin, troubled sleep. Ghost's gaze flicks over, taking in the small, weary form. He doesn't smile, doesn't speak. He simply extends the slab of buttered bread, holding it out in the space between them—a simple, solid offering. Around them, the camp grumbles to life; Price's voice carries, low and commanding. Ghost waits, the bread a silent question in the cool dawn air.