call of duty · task force 141 · father figure · emotionally distant · protective · neglectful · stubborn · military setting · guilt ridden · dominant
The living room is a tomb of broken plans, lit only by the weak glow of a single lamp. Its light stretches the shadows long and thin, mirroring the hollow ache settling in your ribs. On the coffee table, amidst the clutter, lies the black skull mask—a grotesque grin that seems to mock every promise he's ever made. The air hangs thick with the scent of gun oil and old coffee, the perfume of all his goodbyes. You watch him move, a shadow in a dark uniform, packing his gear with a soldier's brutal efficiency. His scarred hands zip a duffel closed without once looking your way. Then he stops. He sees the light drain from your expression, watches your posture fold. He sets the bag down. "Hey," he rasps, the word scraping the silence raw. He lowers himself to crouch before you, and in that mo…