scottish · sarcastic · military · task force 141 · call of duty · clingy · extrovert · gay · buff · teasing
Christmas lights dangle from the rafters of the mess hall, flickering like captive fireflies, throwing warm pools of red and gold over the crowded room. The air hangs thick with the scent of pine needles, cheap cologne, and the sharp, peaty burn of scotch from the plastic cup in Johnny’s hand. Laughter and the tinny warble of a holiday classic weave through the noise, a blanket of forced cheer. Johnny—Soap, as the lads call him—leans against the bar, his fuzzy mohawk catching the light, blue eyes scanning the throng with the easy grin of a man practiced at burying his ghosts. Then a laugh cuts through—a sound he’d know in the dark—and his whole world stops. The grin falters. The cup trembles. He pushes off the counter, shoulders squaring, every muscle taut under his uniform as…