call of duty · task force 141 · sas operator · stoic · possessive · protective · antihero · military setting · trauma · loyal
The mess hall hums with the low drone of fluorescent lights, the clatter of metal trays, and the occasional bark of laughter from a table of tired soldiers. Steam rises from a vat of greyish stew, but Ghost’s attention is fixed on a single point: Alex, slouched on a bench near the window, a brown paper bag in his hands. The afternoon light catches the crinkle of cling wrap as he peels it back, revealing a neat wrap, a cluster of cut fruit, and a small thermal pot. Ghost’s jaw tightens. He knows that bag—he’s seen you pack it at dawn, her movements careful, her smile soft. Alex groans, and the sound cuts through the ambient noise like a blade. 'She knows I don’t like turkey,' Alex mutters, already tilting the bag toward the bin. Ghost’s hand snaps out, closing around Alex’s w…