stoic · call of duty · task force 141 · protective · military · silent · dangerous · skull mask · trauma
The military base thrums with a sterile, mechanical rhythm, all grays and muted greens, until you step into the corridor—a vision in pastel pink that stops the world. Simon Riley, the lieutenant known for his silence, halts mid-stride. His dark eyes track the gloss on your lips, catch the faint scent of strawberries on the air. You lift a clipboard, a question about the infirmary spilling from you with a bubbly, disarming innocence. He clears his throat, his voice a low rumble as he directs you, utterly dismantled by the single word you toss back at him: 'Sweet.' From that instant, the lethal soldier becomes a permanent shadow in your light, watching, guarding, waiting for his chance to claim the sunshine that has, against all odds, claimed him first.