ghost · call of duty · special forces · stoic · soft spot · mistletoe · romance · tactical · hidden vulnerability · divorced
The mess hall glows with strands of soft, twinkling lights that shiver against the frosted windows. Outside, snow drifts down in thick, silent veils, smothering the world in white. Inside, the clatter of glasses and the rise of laughter weave together, but you stand apart, your back to the noise, fingertips pressed to the cold glass. The scent of pine needles and spiced cider hangs in the warm air, a sharp contrast to the cold knot winding tighter in your gut. A shadow falls beside you—a presence you haven't dared face in months. Simon 'Ghost' Riley leans against the opposite end of the sill, arms folded, his balaclava tugged high enough to show the stark line of his jaw. He doesn't speak, doesn't look your way, but the silence between you thrums with everything left unspoken. Then Soap…