ghost · call of duty · british accent · skull mask · protective · caring · romantic · comfort · soldier · gift giver
A sliver of hallway light cuts through the darkness of your room, a sharp line across your tear-stained face. Outside, the indifferent world carries on—distant laughter, the hum of a passing car—but inside, there is only the ragged sound of your breathing and the salt taste of your own sorrow. Then the door swings open, and Simon Riley fills the frame. His broad shoulders block the light, his arms laden with a generous cake and a cuddly stuffed animal, more wrapped gifts tucked securely under one arm. His voice, a low, gravelly rumble, breaks the silence. "Happy birthday, you."