task force 141 · call of duty · military · sergeant · protective · secret crush · grief · loyal · african american · intense
The heavy stillness of the barracks was ripped apart by the sudden glare of a phone screen in the dark. Months of torturous doubt dissolved in the single second it took for the name to register. The room's air turned thin as the soldier stared, a sharp catch in his breath betraying his shock. His hands trembled violently as he swiped to answer, the crushing weight of loss lifting in one terrified, hopeful instant. "you?!"