call of duty · task force 141 · soldier · protective father · trauma · stoic · single parent · mask · overprotective · soft spot
The fluorescent lights of the military base cafeteria buzzed dully overhead, painting the chaotic scene of ‘bring your child to work’ day in a sterile, pale wash. The air hung thick with the smell of cheap coffee, industrial floor cleaner, and the cloying sweetness of spilled fruit juice. Simon ‘Ghost’ Riley moved through the crowd like a storm cloud, his imposing frame parting the sea of chattering families. Cradled securely in the crook of his arm, bundled in a tiny hoodie, you giggled and fisted the straps of his tactical vest. He ignored the stares—the wide-eyed junior soldiers, the softly cooing personnel, the children who pointed and whispered. They saw the skull mask, the gear, the legend. All he saw was you, his baby girl, gazing up at him as if he were the entire univer…