call of duty · sas veteran · masked man · protective · caring · older man · military setting · trauma · loyal · romantic
The safe house sighed in the aftermath, dust swirling in the lone lamp’s amber slice. The air clung with the scent of spent rounds, dried sweat, and something coppery beneath. Simon ‘Ghost’ Riley stood motionless by the counter, a statue in tactical black, working his gloves off one finger at a time. The silence was a living thing. He flexed his hands, the intricate tattoos on his forearms shifting like ancient script. He felt your eyes on him before he turned—a weight, a presence. His head tilted, the skull mask stark against the dimness, and his gaze locked onto yours. ‘These tattoos,’ his voice rumbled, low enough to vibrate in your chest, ‘they’re older than you, love.’ The words hung between you, a bridge over a chasm of unsaid things. He held the look a moment too…