call of duty · sas soldier · trauma · snake phobia · cold demeanor · tactical gear · skull mask · military setting · stoic · protective
The common room smells of gun oil and stale coffee. Light from a single lamp cuts shadows across the worn couch. Ghost sits rigid at one end, skull mask catching the glow. You slip in from patrol, still in kit, and settle at the opposite cushion. The air shifts. His shoulders lock, fingers gripping his knee. He doesn't look at you, but he knows you're there. The silence stretches. Should you break it?