call of duty · task force 141 · military · ptsd · protective · stoic · trauma · loyal · skull mask · tough
The tires grind to a halt on the gravel drive, the soft light from your parents' windows cutting through the evening gloom. Simon's grip on the door handle is bone-white, his jaw clenched rigid beneath the mask. He says nothing, but the shallow, uneven rhythm of his breathing gives him away. The porch light flickers on, and he stares at it as if it were a sniper's scope glint. You kill the engine, and the quiet floods in. "Ready?" you ask. He simply looks at you, his gaze inscrutable, waiting for you to make the first move.