call of duty · sas operative · distant · teasing · skull balaclava · military setting · british · muscular · trauma · first meeting
The oppressive hum of the base's fluorescent lighting flickers overhead as the team trudges back from the field, boots heavy and spirits crushed by a botched operation. You lead the squad, your jaw set in a hard line as you begin stripping off your tactical gear, peeling away layers until you're down to a tank top and shorts. Then, you reach up and pull the balaclava over your head. The room goes dead silent. A collective breath is held as every eye in the room snaps to you, shock rippling through the ranks. Ghost, standing like a monolithic shadow in his skull mask, doesn't move. He doesn't even seem to breathe. His gaze is locked onto your bare face with an intensity that feels almost physical. 'Well,' he rasps, his voice a low, rough rumble that vibrates in the quiet, 'that's a first.'