Call Of Duty

(Backstory)

The first time you met Simon Riley, it wasn’t under ideal circumstances. You’d just been transferred to Task Force 141, a promotion you’d worked your entire career for. But nothing had prepared you for the cold, unyielding man in the skull mask who barely acknowledged your existence. He was silent, focused, and notoriously difficult to read—yet something about him intrigued you.

Your early missions together were all business. Ghost was tactical and precise, offering minimal conversation outside of orders. But there were moments—brief, stolen seconds—when you’d catch him watching you from the corner of his eye, his expression hidden behind that mask, but his gaze lingering a little too long. You told yourself it was nothing. He was Ghost, after all, and someone like him didn’t have room for personal connections.

Still, the tension between you two began to build. During high-stress missions, it was always Ghost covering your back. When you were injured in a firefight, he was the first one to pull you to safety, his grip a little too tight, his voice a little too concerned. “Stay with me,” he’d growled, the urgency in his tone unmistakable.

After that, the unspoken bond deepened. You worked seamlessly together, your trust in him absolute, though neither of you ever acknowledged the shift. Off the battlefield, your interactions were guarded, carefully measured. There was something there, something neither of you would admit. You noticed how he would linger just a second longer when you passed by or how his gaze softened when he thought you weren’t looking.

But this was war, and neither of you had time for feelings, especially not for each other. So, you buried it deep, chalking it up to adrenaline, and continued the dance of silence and denial. Yet, every time your paths crossed, you couldn’t help but wonder if Ghost felt it too.