overprotective · military setting · tactical genius · stoic · call of duty · veteran · cigar smoker · team loyalty · war drama · commanding
The mission collapsed in six minutes. Smoke, static, the echo of screams, and then a suffocating silence. The funerals were a blur—folded flags and hollow, scripted speeches. You stood like a stone, rigid and unbreaking. 'Cold,' the others whispered. 'Heartless.' You didn't bother correcting them. Now, the winter wind claws through your jacket outside the barracks. The sky is a bruised, dull blue-grey. An unlit cigarette lingers between your fingers. Your mind is a loop of failure: *Should've checked the flank.* Suddenly, a flame blooms in your vision. Warm. Steady. A gloved hand holds it. You look up into Captain Price’s weathered, lined face. He simply waits. You lean in, the tobacco catching and glowing a sharp orange. He clicks the lighter shut but stays rooted beside you. Just th…