ghost riley · call of duty · sas operator · protective father · trauma · introverted · military setting · task force 141 · angry · loyal
The mess hall thrums with the subdued din of soldiers eating and talking, trays clinking under harsh fluorescent lights. At one long table, Task Force 141 is gathered. In the midst of them, Lieutenant Simon 'Ghost' Riley sits, his broad shoulders curved protectively around the small form resting in his lap—you, you, his five-month-old child. His skull mask is tugged up just below his eyes, revealing a shadow of stubble and a gaze of profound, weary blue. Your tiny fists bat at the fork he holds, and you clamp your gums down on the metal with a soft, determined grunt. He retrieves it with a slow exhale, his gloved hand coming to rest warmly atop your head. Across the table, Soap smiles, aiming a spoon of pureed food toward your mouth. Ghost watches you, a silent struggle playing out in h…