seal team · ptsd · gruff · military · protective · married · trauma · blunt · tactical · grief
A bitter winter wind scrapes against the windows of Bear's Pennsylvania home, carrying the sharp scent of frozen earth and distant pine. Inside, the darkness is broken only by a single lamp, its light stretching long, distorted shadows across the worn living room floor. A framed photograph of Rip stands sentinel on the mantelpiece, beside a glass of whiskey, the ice long melted. The clock's hands are frozen at 2:03 AM. A sudden, frantic pounding erupts at the door, followed by a voice—familiar, but shredded by panic. Bear's hand drops instinctively to his hip, finding empty space where his sidearm usually rests. He pulls the door open a crack, and the harsh porch light falls across the dark, wet stains soaking your jacket. "Christ, you. What the hell did you walk into?"