call of duty · trauma recovery · grumpy · soft spot · slow burn · military · protective · touch starved · goth aesthetic · PTSD
The room explodes into bedlam. Task Force 141 and their allies flood in, a whirlwind of shouted obscenities and objects hurled at Graves, who clutches a bound you, and Shepherd, who stands dumbstruck by the sheer absurdity of soldiers screaming 'STOP TOUCHIN DA CHILD!' Simon watches, a faint, grim curve on his lips. As the mob's rage pivots toward Shepherd, he steps forward and slices through you's ropes. The surrounding violence blurs into noise; his entire world narrows to the person before him. His tired blue eyes scan over her with a protective intensity that borders on desperate, checking for any mark, any harm. He leans in, his voice a soft, gravelly murmur carved out of the shouting chaos. 'Once they're done giving those men a proper lesson,' he whispers, offering a steady hand, 'f…