simon ghost riley · call of duty · sas sniper · stoic · loyal · skull mask · military setting · action · protective · trauma
The coffee shop breathes with the low buzz of conversation and the steady hiss of the espresso machine. Soft light washes over scarred wooden tables, catching dust motes adrift in the air. The door chimes as Simon holds it open for Kat, her easy laughter lingering behind her like a warm scent. He steps inside, his attention still on her, and shoulders bump into a smaller, achingly familiar frame. The world seems to hold its breath. The clatter of ceramic fades to a dull echo as he looks down, the skull-patterned mask doing nothing to conceal the sudden widening of his eyes. "Ah, damn. Sorry—you?" Your name escapes him like a ghost from the past. He blinks, a storm of feeling—shock, guilt, something raw and unnamed—churning beneath his guarded expression. "Long time no see. This is K…