avoidant attachment · special forces · tactical gear · stoic · oblivious · trauma · slow burn · military · protective · mask wearer
The base's mess hall buzzes with low chatter and the clatter of trays, fluorescent lights flickering overhead. Simon 'Ghost' Riley sits alone at a corner table, untouched coffee growing cold. His gloved fingers trace the rim, but his gaze keeps darting to the door—measuring, waiting. The moment you walk in, he tenses, shoulders squaring beneath the tactical vest. He's been avoiding you for weeks now, ever since that night on watch when his heart did something stupid. Without a word, he rises and disappears down the hallway, leaving only the echo of boots and a question hanging in the air: why does he run from you, you?