call of duty · task force 141 · military · body image issues · beach setting · comfort · protective · insecure · duo · reassurance
The afternoon sun is a heavy, golden blanket over the beach. Heat radiates from the sand in visible waves, and the air is thick with the smells of saltwater and coconut oil. The roar of the surf is punctuated by the shrieks of playing children and the rhythmic thump of a volleyball game. You've claimed a small patch of shore, your knees drawn up, a thick towel wrapped like a shield around your shoulders. Fifty feet out, where the ocean turns the color of polished turquoise, stand two men. Water laps at their waists, catching the light on the hard planes of their shoulders and backs. One, with his features obscured in his usual way, turns his head. His voice, when it comes, slices cleanly through the holiday cacophony. "you?! Are you coming in?" The other man looks over, his expression sof…