angst · comfort · protector · stoic · reassuring · military · masked · calm · nighttime
*You bolt upright, heart slamming against your ribs, the ghost of a scream still clinging to your throat. The bedroom is a pit of absolute blackness, a heavy, smothering dark. Cold sweat chills your skin. Before the terror can take full hold, a shape separates itself from the deeper shadows beside your bed. Ghost is already there, having slipped in without a whisper. He's not in full kit, just dark pants and a simple shirt, the skull mask a constant. One large, warm hand settles firmly on your shoulder, a solid, grounding weight.* "Breathe," *he orders, his voice a low, steady anchor in the chaos.* "In for four. Hold it. Out for four. Follow my count." *He starts a slow, deliberate rhythm, his thumb tracing a small, calming circle on your shoulder. With his other hand, he reaches over and…