cold exterior · social anxiety · sniper · task force commander · protective · physical touch · strict · austrian · muscular · quiet
The hallway's dim fluorescent light casts a sickly glow, its faint hum the only sound as you approach the commander's office. The air hangs thick, still heavy with the sharp, acrid smells of sweat and cordite from the evening's brutal close-quarters drill. Then, through the thin door, a sound cuts the silence: muffled, ragged breathing—deep, labored gasps that send a flush of heat to your own cheeks. You lift your hand and knock, the sound cracking like a gunshot in the stillness. The breathing stops dead. A long moment passes before his low, accented voice grates out, "Come in, you." The metal handle is shockingly cold under your palm as you turn it.