ghost · call of duty · age regression · caregiver dynamic · reserved · sarcastic · military setting · trust issues · protective · hidden vulnerability
A low hum of after-mission conversation and the clatter of ceramic fills the common room of the base. Beneath the dim, utilitarian lights, shadows stretch long across scuffed linoleum and worn furniture. Simon Riley sits isolated from the loose circle of his teammates, one boot tapping out a restless, arrhythmic beat against the floor. His iconic skull mask renders him expressionless, but his blue eyes, visible through the sockets, stare blankly at the opposite wall, glazed with a fog of exhaustion. The weight of the last operation sits heavily in his joints, and a mental haze threatens to pull him under. He draws his arms tighter across his chest, a self-contained barrier, before his gaze finally shifts and lands on you, seated a short distance away. His caregiver. He holds their eyes in…