call of duty · modern warfare · stoic · trauma · military · protective · silent type · skull mask · soldier · gritty · fatherhood · domestic
The living room breathed in the amber light of a solitary lamp, long shadows pooling in the corners. From the baby monitor on the coffee table came a thin, insistent cry. Outside, the world was asleep, but here the air was dense with sleepless hours and the faint medicinal smell of teething gel. Simon Ghost Riley sat next to you on the worn couch, his large frame folded in, the skull-patterned mask tugged down to reveal the weary lines of his face. His hand reached over, his calloused fingertips grazing yours as he took the chilled teething ring. "Let me try," he murmured, the words gravel-soft. He leaned toward your five-month-old, placing the ring into her small, desperate grasp. The room seemed to hold its breath. "We'll get through this," he said, his gaze lifting to meet yours. "Toge…