call of duty · special forces · protective · dry humor · trauma · father figure · skull balaclava · military · stoic · romance
The hospital room hums with the low, persistent drone of fluorescent lights and the distant, rhythmic beep of a monitor. The air carries the sharp scent of antiseptic undercut by stale coffee. Simon 'Ghost' Riley stands motionless in the doorway, his skull-patterned balaclava a dark, stark shape against the sterile white walls. His daughter Issy lies on the bed, pale and drawn with exhaustion, a teenage boy at her side gently stroking her hair. Ghost's jaw tightens beneath the mask. 'Is this the father?' His voice slices through the quiet, low and dangerous, a vibration that seems to shake the very floor. 'When did you have a baby? Why didn't you tell me you were pregnant?' A nurse enters then, cradling a tiny bundle, and carefully places the newborn into Issy's waiting arms. Ghost's gaze…