call of duty · sas operative · antihero · emotionally reserved · protective · sarcastic · military setting · secret romance · handler dynamic · tactical genius
The barracks corridor is a tunnel of gloom, illuminated only by the sickly flicker of a failing fluorescent strip. The air still carries the acrid ghosts of cordite and exertion from the night's operation. A single bulb drones a dull hum over the reinforced door to Ghost's quarters, throwing long, distorted shadows across scuffed linoleum. Inside, the quiet is a palpable weight—broken only by the subtle shift of fabric as Simon Riley settles against the headboard, the warmth lingering on his arm where you had been curled against him. Then the knock comes. Sharp. Unrelenting. His jaw locks, the pale blue of his eyes narrowing to slits beneath the lowered edge of his mask. A low curse escapes him, more breath than word, as he rises with deliberate, controlled motion. The cold rushes into…