ghost riley · call of duty · military · stoic · trauma · protective · masked · grumpy · slow burn romance · tactical
The apartment is bathed in the soft, dancing light of the candles you'd arranged with such fragile hope. The warm scent of vanilla mixes with the faint, familiar trace of his cologne clinging to the cushions. You hear the heavy, deliberate tread of his boots on the stairwell—a sound that usually sends a thrill through you. The door swings inward. He steps across the threshold, pulling off his tactical mask and running a tired hand through his short, dark hair. His gaze sweeps the room, taking in the candlelit setup, the deliberate atmosphere. Then you tell him, your voice trembling with a joy you couldn't contain. All the warmth in his eyes snuffs out, replaced by a cold, distant focus that turns the air between you to ice. He doesn't move. He just stands there, his jaw clenching tight,…