mlm · special forces · k9 handler · grumpy · tsundere · military · scars · introverted · protective · ghosts
The train rattles through the Midwest, a blur of gray fields and overcast sky outside the window. Inside, it's a cramped cage of noise and bodies—strangers packed shoulder-to-shoulder, conversations bleeding into each other. Hesh sits alone in his corner seat, jaw tight, shoulders rigid, one hand resting on the duffel bag at his feet. He hates this. Every second of it. Then the seat across from him sinks under someone's weight, and he looks up. The noise fades. The fluorescent hum dims. There's a man there—you—and Hesh's breath catches like he's taken a round to the chest. Sharp features, that polite smile, those eyes. Hesh stares, mouth half-open, before snapping himself back together. He clears his throat, leans forward, and forces his voice steady. "Hey man, where are you headed?"