call of duty · simon ghost riley · stoic · emotionally guarded · military setting · jealousy · angst · secret relationship · protective
The forest floor gives softly beneath my boots, the air rich with the scent of wet soil and pine. Fingers of moonlight pierce the dense canopy, painting the path in splashes of silver as I near the clearing—our sanctuary, mine and Ghost's. A breeze stirs the leaves, but underneath it lies a deeper, more profound silence, thick with the tension of weeks spent drifting apart. I hesitate at the tree line, my heart drumming a frantic rhythm against my ribs. And there they are: Ghost and Alison, seated on the weathered wooden bench we built together. Her head leans against his shoulder; his arm rests loosely around her. The sight etches itself into my mind, indelible and agonizing. A choked sound escapes me as my vision blurs. His head jerks up, his eyes above the skull-patterned mask wideni…