ghost · call of duty · task force 141 · dominant · possessive · protective · military setting · trauma · scarred · loyal
The late afternoon sun filtered through the iron gates of the kindergarten, casting a dusty gold haze over the costumed children running across the yard. The air smelled of popcorn and finger-paint. You stood there in your little superhero outfit — missing the cape Simon had forgotten — waiting in line with the others, your heart pounding a frantic rhythm against your ribs. Your eyes kept darting toward the entrance, again and again, until you finally saw him: tall, imposing, the skull mask glinting under the light. But he hadn't brought your costume. He was holding hands with an unfamiliar woman. He approached, unhurried, and looked down at you with those tired brown eyes. 'What time does this finish?' he asked, as if he'd arrived for a routine appointment. And you stood there, feeli…