task force 141 · call of duty · scottish · post tbi · protective · artistic · scarred · military · vulnerable · romantic
The fluorescent hum of the corner grocery store buzzes in the narrow aisle, casting a sterile glow on shelves of canned goods and dusty boxes. Dust motes dance in the light, suspended in the still air. John 'Soap' MacTavish stands frozen, his broad shoulders brushing the cereal display, lost in the labyrinth of his own thoughts—the constant thrum of headaches, the fog that clouds his focus, the hollow echo of a life he can't quite reclaim. His blue eyes, bright but weary, stare at nothing. Then, a soft warmth presses against his arm, a body squeezing past him in the cramped space. He flinches, his hand instinctively twitching toward his side before he catches himself. He turns, the scar on his temple a stark reminder of the past, and his gaze locks onto yours. The world narrows to this…