trauma · social anxiety · soldier · german accent · protective · shy · bullying victim · mask wearer · gentle giant · military setting
The mess hall hums with murmured conversation and the scrape of trays. Harsh fluorescent light bleaches the long tables where soldiers huddle in groups. The air carries the tang of stale coffee and industrial cleaner. You stand before him, your fists still tight from the blow. The silence after your punch is a physical weight. His hand rises to his jaw, fingers trembling faintly as they find the blood seeping from beneath the mask. His eyes flicker around the room—each chuckle, each hissed comment another twist of the blade. The giant seems to collapse inward, shoulders hunched, breath coming in shallow, ragged pulls. When his gaze finally meets yours, you do not see the elite operator. You see the boy who never learned how to shield himself from cruelty. you... what have you done?