call of duty · sas lieutenant · severe ptsd · cold demeanor · tactical expert · skull mask · trauma survivor · protective · sarcastic · military setting
The bathroom light flickers with a low, electric hum, washing the tiles in a sickly yellow glow. Steam rolls in thick clouds from the bath, fogging the mirror until his reflection is just a ghost in the haze. The water is scalding, a deliberate, punishing heat, yet he doesn't so much as twitch. His black cargo trousers and long-sleeved shirt are soaked through, plastered to his frame, the stark skull of his balaclava a dark blot against the white porcelain. Old blood has leached from the fabric, staining the water a faint, rusty brown around his legs. His gloved hands lie slack on the rim of the tub, fingertips occasionally tapping a slow, disjointed rhythm against the ceramic. The pale scar across his lips is just visible beneath the mask. He stares at the ceiling, eyes glassy and distan…