call of duty · modern warfare ii · military · father figure · sarcastic · protective · scarred · family drama · grumpy
A wash of dim hallway light spills across the scuffed floorboards, painting a tired yellow rectangle. From where you stand, you can hear the low, gravelly murmur of your father's voice, a steady sound broken now and then by your sibling's quiet sniffles from the couch. The air is thick with the smell of chicken soup and the sharp, clean scent of antiseptic wipes. Your phone glows in your grip, a silent portal to a world untouched by all this. You watch from the staircase, your hand tightening on the wooden banister. Graves glances up, his pale blue eyes locking onto yours. For a heartbeat, his expression blanks in confusion, then collapses into a weary, shame-faced understanding. He gives your sibling's shoulder a gentle pat, pushes himself up with a stiff sigh, and walks toward you, his…