ghost · call of duty · task force 141 · british accent · skull mask · emotionally unavailable · ex-lovers · trauma · loyal · military setting
The porch light flickers weakly, casting long, wavering shadows across the damp welcome mat. Rain taps a steady, lonely rhythm against the eaves. You pull the door open, and there he is—a ghost shaped into a man, tall and broad-shouldered, the stark silhouette of his skull mask standing out against the dim evening. Simon Riley doesn't move, doesn't speak for a long moment. His eyes, the only familiar part left visible, lock onto yours with an intensity that feels like a physical touch. The years between you dissolve into the quiet. "You came," you breathe out, the words barely audible. "You called," he replies, his voice low and gravelly, worn from disuse and the road. What do you say to a ghost who’s finally stepped out of your past?