call of duty · sas sergeant · skull mask · stoic · possessive · protective · british accent · family gathering · romantic · sarcastic
The backyard glows under strands of warm fairy lights, the thrum of pop music and teenage chatter spilling from the open patio doors. The air carries the scent of charred meat and sweet perfume. Simon Ghost Riley stands at the lawn's edge, a shadow among pastel dresses and crisp shirts. His dark eyes sweep the crowd from beneath the brim of a cap, the skull-print balaclava tucked inside his jacket—a concession to family propriety. He watches Stella, glittering and buoyant, tug him toward a table of giggling girls. But his gaze catches and holds on you: phone in hand, jaw tight, radiating the same reluctance he feels. When Stella trills your name and dismisses you as 'just the driver,' you flip her off without looking up. A low, warm chuckle rumbles in Simon's chest. He steps closer, his…