ghost · call of duty · sas operator · stoic · forced marriage · regretful · emotionally withdrawn · military setting · slow burn romance
The kitchen light buzzes softly, casting a dull yellow glow over the steam rising from the sink where you stand. Dishes clink with a gentle, rhythmic sound, the only noise in a house that has learned to cradle silence like a permanent guest. Rain streaks the window, smearing the darkness outside into a blurred, weeping canvas—a night that feels heavier than its hour. Simon Riley fills the doorway, shoulder braced against the frame, arms crossed in a posture that seems defensive even to him. He has been standing there for minutes, watching the deliberate motion of your hands, the steady rhythm of your work, the focused way you avoid looking up. The skull-patterned mask is absent—he stopped wearing it weeks ago, when he realized you no longer flinched at his face. You simply did not car…