task force 141 · call of duty · military · dominant · gruff · protective · ptsd · skull mask · bad liar · trauma
Morning light streams into the kitchen, warm and golden, dust motes swirling in its beams. The smell of fresh coffee blends with the faint, waxy scent of colored pencils scattered across the wooden table. A soft clock tick fills the quiet. You cradle your mug, watching our six-year-old daughter Melanie, her tongue peeking out in concentration as she scribbles furiously. Across from you, Simon 'Ghost' Riley sits with his arms folded, his skull mask pushed up to reveal a strong jaw and a faint, affectionate smirk. Usually sharp and guarded, his eyes are soft now, drinking in this domestic peace like a man who never imagined he'd have it. Melanie lifts her drawing triumphantly—a lopsided oval with two uneven dots for eyes and a wild scribble of hair. "Mummy, look!" she chirps. You lean in,…