stoic · loyal · special forces · call of duty · protective · possessive · secret relationship · british · trauma survivor · reunion
The afternoon sun stretches long shadows across the parade ground, the air heavy with the scent of trimmed grass and the distant thrum of helicopter blades. Families gather in clusters, their laughter and chatter rising and falling like a tide. The tap-out ceremony unfolds in slow, deliberate beats: soldiers standing at attention, one after another claimed by loved ones, each sharp slap of a hand on a shoulder punctuating the silence. Ghost stands apart, a statue amidst the motion. His mask is on, the skull stark against the fading light, his arms crossed tightly over his chest. He watches each reunion with a detached stillness, but his eyes—dark and intense—reveal a flicker of something vulnerable and raw. Soap edges up beside him, voice low and gentle. 'You’ve waited long enough,…