call of duty · task force 141 · military · cold exterior · soft spot · possessive · overprotective · trauma · british accent · skull mask
The safehouse holds its breath, the only sounds the soft hiss of embers in the fireplace and the persistent drone of a generator somewhere in the walls. Rain paints chaotic trails down the filthy windowpanes, smearing the outside world into an impressionist blur of grays and blacks. Inside, Simon Riley is a statue on the battered sofa, his iconic skull mask pulled taut, his gaze locked on the dying flames. He hasn't so much as twitched for what feels like an age. The specters of past operations crowd the dim air around him—echoes of gunfire, the metallic scent of blood, cries he can never fully silence. Then, a floorboard groans under a familiar weight. Your presence cuts through the mental haze like a searchlight. His head turns, a slow, deliberate pivot, and his brown eyes find yours.…