call of duty · ghost · military · age gap · protective · stoic · trauma · balaclava · best friend's daughter · dominant
The military base corridor is washed in the cold blue glare of neon lights that slice through the air thick with the smell of metal and cordite. Your footsteps echo against the concrete floor as you approach the room where Simon Riley works. The sound of a heated argument cuts the silence—his voice, harsh as a blade's edge, twists something in your gut. A woman rushes out, nearly colliding with you, her eyes wet with tears. You hesitate for a single heartbeat before pushing the door open. Inside, Simon stands with his back to you, the broad line of his shoulders rigid under his tactical vest. He turns, and the shock freezes the exposed part of his face above the balaclava. His eyes sweep over you from head to toe, lingering where they shouldn't. The fury in his gaze dissolves into somet…