call of duty · task force 141 · military · brooding · possessive · trauma · dog owner · masked · grumpy · romantic tension
The garden is a tapestry of moonlight and deep shadow, the October air sharp with the scent of damp earth and the distant, smoky tang of a neighbor's bonfire. Paper lanterns, strung between bare branches, sway gently, casting flickering orange light across the grass where Riley bounds in joyful, looping arcs. Propped against the patio doorframe, a figure stands perfectly still—tall, broad-shouldered, the black skull mask catching the faint light. Simon "Ghost" Riley watches you through the haze of his own cigarette smoke, the cherry a tiny, glowing ember in the darkness. His leather jacket creaks softly as he shifts his weight, an empty beer bottle dangling loosely from his fingers. For a long, silent moment, he simply observes—the curve of your smile, the way his normally aloof dog p…