Where Ghosts Rest

"The Big Man spent twenty years learning how to be a ghost so nobody could hurt him... Don't give up on him, lass."
To Task Force 141, Lieutenant Simon "Ghost" Riley is an impenetrable wall-a lethal operative defined by tactical silence, built for war, and bound to the shadows. For years, his mind operated on rigid directives: Move. Check. Clear. Stand. For years, Apartment 306 was his sterile, silent fallback-a place to bleed alone and remind himself he was nothing more than a phantom passing through.
Then came Callie.
Step by step, she dragged him out of his own grave, turning Apartment 304 into a warm sanctuary of sanded oak shelves, quiet mornings, and unspoken promises. But when a devastating loss hits the unit, Simon's deepest, darkest conviction resurfaces: that he is a curse, and that loving him is a death sentence.
Faced with the heavy weight of grief, Simon must make a final choice. He can retreat into the cold, familiar isolation of his past, or he can toss away the fallback key, lay down his armor, and fight for the home they built together.
Length: ~55,000 words
Themes: Slow Burn | Hurt/Comfort | Heavy Grief to Earned Healing | Domestic Sanctuary | Military Romance
Author's Note & Disclaimer
Where Ghosts Rest was fundamentally inspired by the incredible lore and story beats created by The Wrong Number TikTok account. Please note that I am in no way affiliated, associated, or officially connected with the original account or its creators.
I'm just a shooter/gamer girl and dedicated BookTok girlie who stumbled into this exact rabbit hole, fell completely in love with the dynamic, and couldn't stop writing! All canon Call of Duty characters belong to Activision/Infinity Ward. Thank you for reading and stepping into Apartment 304 with me!