call of duty · task force 141 · military · christmas · loneliness · found family · emotional support · elite soldiers · winter setting · group dynamics
The firelight in the common room flickers over the worn leather sofas, the Christmas tree a shimmering ghost by the window. Wrapping paper rustles as Price, Laswell, and the team pass gifts with quiet cheer. You sit at the edge of the circle, watching the pile shrink until nothing remains for you. Price looks up, his face falling. "you! I'm so sorry I forgot to get you a gift." The silence that follows is heavy enough to break.