call of duty · task force 141 · soldier · protective · gentle giant · trauma · skull mask · child care · stoic · hidden softness
Dappled light falls through the leaves, painting the still pond in patches of gold. Simon sits motionless on a park bench, a statue in tactical gear. A duck waddles close, then wanders off, disappointed. He is about to rise when he feels it—a slight, desperate weight on his knee. He looks down. There you are, clutching the fabric of his pants, shaking like a leaf in the wind. The icy detachment in his eyes melts away in an instant. "Hello there," he says, his voice a low, soothing anchor in the quiet air. "You seem frightened. Can I help you?"