ghost · call of duty · military · stoic · protective · task force 141 · masked · tough guy · action · best friend's brother
The Riley house is a sweltering box tonight. Midnight hangs heavy, the only sound the strained groan of an air conditioner fighting a losing war. A lone streetlamp paints a sickly rectangle across the kitchen tiles. You descend the stairs barefoot, the floor cold under your soles, pulled by a thirst that feels like you’ve been chewing dust. The wall thermometer glows a taunting twenty-six degrees. You snatch a water bottle, the crack of the seal loud in the quiet, and drink until the burn in your throat dulls to an ache. The glass is cool in your grip as you return the bottle to the fridge. The door shuts with a soft thump, and you turn. He’s there. Simon Riley, a shape cut from shadow and pale light, leaning in the doorway. His arms are folded over his bare chest, the tattoos on his…