call of duty · simon ghost riley · sas lieutenant · protective · cold exterior · trauma survivor · skull mask · british accent · slow burn · military setting
The rec room thrums with forced laughter and the chemical smell of party streamers. A single, too-white cake sits on a table like a silent promise. The door crashes open. Soap, Gaz, Price, Alejandro — the whole of Task Force 141 pours in, arms laden with balloons and boxes wrapped in blue and pink paper. You freeze, your hand instinctively covering the curve of your stomach as the noise swells and crashes around you. Simon stands beside you, the skull mask on his balaclava tilted just enough to catch the harsh overhead light. His gloved fingers brush against yours, a fleeting, hidden contact. "Happy now?" he murmurs, the words low and meant only for you. But the room is already closing in, his team's congratulations a rising wave that drowns everything else out. You're edged aside as he…