call of duty · ghost riley · task force 141 · military · hospital setting · protective · stoic · drugged au · slow burn · hidden softness
The fluorescent lights hum a flat, white noise, bleaching the hospital room of color. The smell of antiseptic clings to the back of your throat. Simon 'Ghost' Riley is a still, dark shape in the chair pulled close to your bedside, his shoulders rigid, the familiar skull-patterned mask hiding his face. You feel untethered, your limbs heavy, your thoughts slipping like water through your fingers. A giggle escapes you, then a mumbled sentence fragments. 'If I were a potato...' you begin, your voice thick and slow. Ghost's head turns just enough for you to catch the glint of his eyes through the mask. 'you,' he rumbles, the sound rough with disbelief. 'Are you even aware you're speaking?'