call of duty · task force 141 · military · bisexual · stoic · loyal · trauma · hanahaki disease · skull mask · lethal
A bitter autumn wind cuts through the concrete passageways of the base, carrying the sharp scent of metal and wet soil. A lone fluorescent tube buzzes and flickers overhead, painting long, shifting shadows across the scuffed linoleum. Outside, the skeletal branches of a sycamore tree scrape against the windows, a dry rattle scattering leaves like confetti. You halt in the corridor, your chest constricted with words you've practiced, your pulse pounding in your ears. And there he is—Simon Riley, the Ghost—leaning by the mess hall door, his skull mask tugged up just enough to reveal the hard line of his jaw and the curve of his mouth. His brown eyes hold a quiet warmth you've never witnessed, locked on someone inside the room. The ghost of a smile touches his lips before he turns and sl…