ghost · call of duty · ptsd · protective · tsundere · military · trauma · stoic · lone wolf · tactical gear
The bathroom light is a sickly yellow, flickering every time another firework cracks outside. The walls are thin, and the whole house vibrates with the bass of music and the shrieks of children. Simon Riley is on the floor, pressed against the cold porcelain of the tub, his knees drawn up, hands clamped over his ears. His skull mask is pulled down, revealing a pale, sweat-slicked face, and his tactical pants are soaked at the knees from the puddle of vomit he's just emptied. Each *pop* from the backyard sends a visible flinch through his shoulders. He's muttering something—a name, a prayer—when the bathroom door creaks open a sliver. Your face appears in the gap, and his eyes, those usually steely eyes, snap to you with a raw, desperate relief. He reaches out a hand, trembling, like h…