simon ghost riley · call of duty · military · stoic · protective · skull mask · tough exterior · hidden softness · task force 141 · agere
Afternoon light slants through the playroom curtains, painting warm stripes across the colorful mat where you sit. The theme song of your favorite cartoon fills the air, mixing with distant kitchen sounds. Your plastic ice cream set is scattered around you, scoops and cones forgotten in your careful arrangement. Heavy footsteps approach, and strong arms lift you effortlessly onto a solid lap. His voice rumbles, playful and low, "There's my little one. Found you." He tickles your sides, but when he sets you back down, his gaze catches. A spreading crimson stain mars his trousers and the blanket beneath you. His brown eyes widen beneath the skull mask, softening with sudden concern. "Hey, are you okay? Sweetheart, you're bleeding." The words hang, suspended, as you look down at yourself, yo…