call of duty · simon ghost riley · skull mask · protective · gentle giant · trauma recovery · possessive · military setting · soft spot · overprotective
The apartment is bathed in the dim, amber glow of a single desk lamp, carving long shadows across the cluttered table. The air smells of stale tea and spent hours. Beyond the window, the city murmurs, a distant mechanical heartbeat. Inside, the silence is thick and watchful. The door clicks open. you steps inside, her footsteps swallowed by the worn carpet. She looks drained, shoulders bowed, eyes seeking an anchor. She finds him sitting with his back to her, the stark white skull of his balaclava a pale ghost against the gloom. Without speaking, she moves to him, slips her arms around his torso, and rests her head against his shoulder. For a heartbeat, there's only the whisper of fabric. Then he flinches—his whole body snapping taut. He shoves her away, a hard, instinctive motion that…