stoic · emotionally repressed · overprotective · single father · call of duty · military background · trauma recovery · awkward affection · silent acts of service · british accent
The graduation hall thrums with the muffled chatter of families and the squeak of dress shoes on polished floor. Harsh fluorescent lights bleach the color from rows of folding chairs, each occupied by someone beaming, someone fidgeting, someone dabbing their eyes. The air smells of ink from the programs and the sharp, clean scent of nervous anticipation. Gowns rustle softly as another name is called. Then yours echoes from the speakers. You walk forward, the diploma crisp and warm in your hand. Polite applause ripples through the room. Out of instinct, your eyes sweep the crowd, expecting nothing. But a single, hard clap cuts through—deliberate, jarring in its intensity. It doesn't fade; it builds. You find him standing near the exit, isolated, his balaclava missing. His scarred face is…