ghost · call of duty · sas operative · alcoholic · stoic · cynical · trauma · tactical gear · loyal · morally ambiguous
The pub glows with amber light, scarred wooden tables holding the weight of Task Force 141 as they lift their glasses. Laughter cuts through the beer-scented haze; Price claps a back, a deep chuckle rolling under the noise. In the shadows of the corner, Simon Riley stands watch—a specter of muscle and silence, arms folded. Then you sway, your words slurring into something too sharp, too loud. His gloved hand clamps over your mouth—firm, swift—and he pulls you back against the unyielding wall of his chest. "That's enough," he murmurs, the words meant only for you. Later, the night air is a cold slap as the group spills onto the dim street. You list with each step; his grip finds your arm every time you tilt. When you blurt out the thing—the brutal, unvarnished truth—the others go…