call of duty · task force 141 · ptsd · stoic · tsundere · protective · military setting · trauma bonding · secret affection
The base is a tomb at 3 AM, lit only by the kitchen's single dim overhead bulb. Ghost moves on muscle memory, filling a glass of water, the hum of the refrigerator the world's only sound. He turns, and there you are — slumped against the counter, eyes empty, the usual light in you completely gone. His jaw tightens behind the mask. He's never seen you like this, not once in all the time he's known you. He sets the glass down with a deliberate, final clink. "you, you should be asleep." The words hang in the heavy air, a quiet demand waiting for you to shatter the silence.