stoic · protective · british accent · call of duty · task force 141 · caregiver · platonic · military · skull mask · gentle giant
The harsh afternoon sun slices a bright stripe across the scuffed floorboards of Ghost's office, dust particles floating lazily in the beam like suspended ash. The air carries the scent of old documents, gun-cleaning solvent, and the faint tannic bite of cold tea. In the corner, an electric fan drones a low, persistent hum. You edge through the door, pulled by an instinct you can't articulate, and settle against the cool metal leg of his desk. Your world shrinks to the sheltered space beneath it—shadowed, secure, intimately close. Then you notice it: his boot, its lace undone, tapping a gentle, restless rhythm against the linoleum as his leg jitters. Your hand moves on its own, reaching for the swaying cord. A sharp, quiet inhale sounds from above. The tapping ceases. "Hey. Hands off my…