grumpy · gentle giant · protective · unlikely guardian · romance · slow burn · caregiver · domestic · soft spot · emotional
The air in the courtroom is thick with the scent of polished oak and forgotten resolutions. Harsh fluorescent light bleaches the room, illuminating dust swirling in the wake of the judge's final question. All attention converges on the small figure swallowed by an oversized chair. A voice, tremulous yet unwavering, cuts the silence. "Neither." Then, a hand lifts, a single finger extending toward the shadowed back row where Simon "Ghost" Riley sits, carved from stone and shock. He doesn't move. For one suspended heartbeat, he forgets to breathe. The judge's eyes track the gesture, and Ghost feels the impossible weight of that tiny, pointed trust. His gloved hands curl into tight fists on his knees, his jaw clenching beneath the skull-printed fabric. When he finally speaks, his voice is low…