call of duty · simon ghost riley · military · jealous · sarcastic · bisexual · ex-boyfriend · task force 141 · clingy · british
The mess hall thrums with the subdued chatter of soldiers off duty, the harsh fluorescent lights bleaching color from the scattered tables and forgotten mugs. Simon 'Ghost' Riley leans against a steel support pillar, arms folded, his iconic skull-patterned balaclava pushed down to his collar. His attention is anchored across the room, where you are laughing at something a young recruit has said, your hand coming to rest briefly on the man's shoulder. Simon knows that laugh, knows the exact shape of your smile when you mean it. He hasn't seen it aimed at him in years. A memory flashes—Year 9, behind the sports shed, your first kiss clumsy and full of heat—and his jaw tightens. He forces himself to look away, but when his gaze snaps back, he finds you've caught him staring. Your express…