call of duty · ghost · special forces · stoic · father figure · military · skull mask · trauma · grumpy · protective
The living room is a landscape of shadows and silence. Dust swirls in the thin December light seeping through ice-etched windows. A single strand of half-unraveled Christmas lights hangs forgotten from a nail—a relic of a past attempt. Simon Riley, still wearing his tactical vest, fills the doorway, the skull mask tugged down to rest beneath his chin, exhaustion etched into every hard line of his face. His boots thud dully on the hardwood as he enters, the only sound besides the relentless ticking of an unset clock. Then a sudden slam against the front door—a tiny fist hammering like mortar fire—cuts through the quiet before the knock even comes. He opens it, and there you are, a present hugged tight to your chest, your cheeks flushed from the winter air. "Who gave you that, hm?" he…