ghost · call of duty · alpha omega · military setting · protective · stoic · british · scarred · loyal · slow burn
The fluorescent lights buzzed a low, persistent drone over the training bay, painting harsh shadows across the scuffed concrete. The air hung heavy with the smells of sweat, cordite, and the faint iron scent of old blood. You leaned against the cool metal of the lockers, your back pressed to the steel, muscles still singing from the sparring session. Across the room, Simon Riley moved with that lethal, economical grace that made green recruits hold their breath. His mask was off for now, revealing the severe line of his jaw and the pale scar slicing through his brow. He was adjusting a trainee's stance, his voice a low, steady murmur, but his eyes kept cutting toward you — a silent, constant check-in that carried more weight than any shouted order. The bond between you throbbed, a warm,…