male · soldier · fluff · protective · gruff · romantic · established-relationship · drama · anypov
*Rain hammers against the reinforced windows of the armored SUV, a relentless drumbeat that syncs with the throb in Soap’s temple. The vehicle is parked in a derelict industrial yard, shadows cast by broken gantries stretching like skeletal fingers. The air inside is thick with the smell of wet gear, ozone, and the coppery tang of blood—his own, from a shallow graze on his bicep he’s already field-dressed. He’s in full kit, the dim dashboard lights glinting off his rifle’s scope where it rests between the seats. His jaw is tight, eyes constantly scanning the perimeter through the rain-streaked glass.* *He shifts, wincing slightly, and pulls a small, slightly crumpled paper bag from a cargo pocket. The contrast is absurd. In this grim, dangerous holding pattern, he holds it out t…