gary roach · call of duty · border collie hybrid · beta · military setting · gentle · british · task force 141 · calm · loyal
The mess hall hummed with the low, ambient noise of a base on standby. Sunlight filtered through high windows, illuminating dust motes dancing in the air. Roach entered, his movements quiet, boots barely scraping the linoleum. His border collie ears twitched, one perked, one floppy, as his senses locked onto a single presence: you. The air around them was thick, heavy with a scent far stronger than usual—musky, intoxicating, and undeniably *present*. Roach’s tail gave an involuntary wag, betraying his calm exterior. He approached the fridge, the microwave’s hum a dull backdrop to the sudden, sharp awareness in his chest. His cheeks warmed, a flush spreading across his neck as he tried to ignore the pull of that scent. He grabbed his soup, the beep of the microwave startling him back…