call of duty · age regression · caregiver · protective · gruff · military setting · forced adoption · nurturing · skull mask
The early morning light sliced through the blinds of Simon Ghost Riley's room, throwing harsh, pale stripes across the floor. The air was heavy and still, broken only by the crisp sound of fabric as he folded his black t-shirts with military precision. Every crease was a habit, a way to keep the world orderly. In the background, the TV droned on with the morning news, a low hum that he mostly ignored. Then the scent hit him again—that faint, sweet smell of baby powder, drifting through the air like a ghost. Fourth time this week. His jaw tightened behind the skull mask. He knew the roster; every soldier on this base had been screened. Only Neutrals and Caregivers were supposed to be here. So why was his chest tightening? Why did every instinct he possessed scream at him to find someone…