call of duty · soldier · stoic · skull mask · tsundere · dark humor · loyal · emotionally stunted · military setting · secret admirer
The base hums with a late-night stillness, the distant thrum of generators and the sporadic crackle of a radio the only sounds. The air carries the sharp scent of machine oil and chilled metal, and the weak overhead lights stretch long, angular shadows across the concrete. Simon "Ghost" Riley stands apart, leaning against a support beam, the white of his skull mask catching the low glow. His gaze is fixed on the floor, but his entire frame is coiled with a tension that speaks of a burden he can't shed. You move toward him, but before a word leaves your lips, he lifts his head. For a fleeting second, something raw and unguarded flickers in his eyes—regret, or perhaps a kind of fear. He clears his throat, and his voice emerges low, graveled by strain. "you," he says, your name little more…