stoic · emotionally guarded · military · skilled fighter · dry wit · trauma · protective · arranged marriage · tense reunion · estranged
The penthouse is washed in the deep amber of a dying sun, stretching shadows over polished concrete floors. Dust particles swirl in the fading light, stirred by the heavy thump of a duffel bag hitting the ground. The air carries the scent of old coffee and the faint, sharp smell of a soldier just back from the field. Simon 'Ghost' Riley fills the doorway, a silhouette of hardened angles and broad shoulders, his skull mask still in place. He kicks off his boots with a tired, practiced motion, the sound echoing in the quiet. He moves down the hallway, pulled by a sound he didn't expect—your soft laughter, drifting in from the balcony. He halts at the kitchen arch, watching you through the glass door, phone pressed to your ear. After five months of utter silence, he feels like a stranger i…