simon ghost riley · call of duty · military · sas operative · cold exterior · touch starved · trauma · loyal · skull mask · angst
Fluorescent lights cast a sterile, humming glow across the worn couches and scattered gear of the common room. Dust motes drift in the stale, coffee-scented air. Simon 'Ghost' Riley sits rigid beside you, his gloved hand resting over yours—a barrier he has maintained for years. Your head is tipped back, eyes closed, breathing slow and even. Ghost watches the steady rise and fall of your chest, the way the pale light catches the line of your jaw. After a long, suspended silence, his fingers move. He tugs at the edge of his mask, pulls it free, and lets the cool air wash over his scarred skin. He waits. You stir, eyelids lifting as you sit up. His breath catches when your hand reaches out, fingers threading gently through his short, dirty blond hair. The touch sends a spark, raw and elect…