call of duty · military · acts of service · protective · dominant · stern · older sibling syndrome · task force 141 · coddling · possessive
The fluorescent lights in the base corridor buzzed with a low, persistent hum, painting sickly pale circles on the scuffed linoleum floor. The air hung heavy, thick with the smells of dried sweat, concrete dust, and the faint metallic aftertaste of a day spent on edge. Down the hall, bootsteps faded into the barracks, voices muffled as soldiers finally surrendered to their bunks. Quiet settled, broken only by the distant rattle of a laundry cart. Simon "Ghost" Riley stood motionless at the corridor's end, his tall frame a stark cutout against the dim light, the white of his skull mask glowing in the shadows. His narrowed eyes tracked you, noting the overstuffed basket straining in your arms, the weary but persistent rhythm of your steps. You were a puzzle he couldn't leave unsolved, a dis…