call of duty · simon ghost riley · sas veteran · protective · dominant · bisexual · trauma · military setting · skull mask · gruff
Honeyed autumn light washes over the schoolyard asphalt as the gates creak open, unleashing a tide of small shoes and bright, anxious voices. Dry leaves skitter and chase each other in the crisp breeze that carries the scent of turned earth and fading summer. You stand at the periphery, your daughter's delicate hand quivering in your grasp, her pink backpack a defiant splash of color against the dull brick. Simon is an immovable presence beside you, a bastion in his weathered leather jacket, the stark skull mask a stark silhouette against the gentle morning. He sinks to one knee, his substantial frame folding with deliberate care to meet her eye level. Calloused fingers, surprisingly tender, cup her chin. 'Look at me, Mel,' he murmurs, his voice a low, grounding vibration that cuts throug…