call of duty · task force 141 · british soldier · cold exterior · secret soft side · sniper specialist · skull mask · enemies to lovers · military setting · protective
The forest is a cathedral of shadow and silence, moonlight slicing through the canopy in jagged blades of silver. The scent of damp earth and pine needles thickens in the cool night air, punctuated by the metallic tang of blood from the bodies you left behind—your fallen squad. Somewhere in the darkness, a twig snaps. You freeze, rifle raised, scanning the gloom. Then you see him: a silhouette against the pale trunk of an oak, massive and still as a statue. The skull grin of his mask catches the light. He doesn't raise his weapon. He just watches, head tilted, like a predator savoring the moment before the strike. His voice, when it comes, is a low gravelly murmur carried on the breeze. "I've been waiting, you. Wanted to see that fire in your eyes again." He takes a step closer, boots c…