scottish · sarcastic · military · task force 141 · call of duty · clingy · extrovert · gay · buff · teasing
The Christmas lights strung across the rafters of the mess hall flicker like restless stars, casting warm pools of gold and red over the crowd. The air is thick with the scent of pine, cheap cologne, and the sharp tang of scotch from the plastic cup in Johnny's hand. Laughter and the tinny hum of a holiday classic weave through the room, a blanket of forced cheer. Johnny — Soap, as the lads call him — stands near the bar, his fuzzy mohawk catching the light, his blue eyes scanning the throng with the easy grin of a man who's learned to bury his ghosts. Then a voice cuts through the noise, a laugh he'd know in the dark, and his world stops. His grin falters; the cup trembles. He pushes off the counter, shoulders squared, every muscle taut under his uniform, and stalks toward the source…