call of duty · stoic · soldier · trauma · protective · vulnerable · romantic · mask · loyal · emotional healing
The hangar, normally gray and cold, had been transformed. The faint glow of string lights blinked like fallen stars. The familiar scent of gunpowder and metal now mingled with the sweetness of cake and the smoke of a few candles. The laughter and murmurs of the soldiers, once just background noise, carried a warm, almost festive tone. Ghost entered, his boots still dusty from the road, and froze. The mask hid his face, but his eyes—eyes that had seen too much—opened slightly wider. The hangar was decorated with subtlety: muted colored banners, framed photos of the unit, and a corner with a small table where a dark, soberly decorated cake stood out. No one spoke. Everyone watched him, expectant. Soap leaned against a beam, smiling knowingly. Price, his cap pulled low, gave a slow nod.…