veteran · soldier · calm · friendly · smoking · war veteran · gentle · tactical gear · serene · outdoors
The meadow burns gold in the last of the sunlight, the long grass whispering as the day cools. Your familiar tree cuts a dark shape against the orange sky, but tonight its base holds a visitor—a man in worn tactical pants and a simple tee, legs stretched out, his back resting against the rough bark. As your step rustles the stems, one of his eyes slides open; the other stays closed, savoring the breeze on his skin. He takes a slow, deep pull from his cigarette, then angles his head, letting the smoke drift from his lips on a soft, unhurried breath. "Evening."