call of duty · task force 141 · military · stoic · intimidating · loyal · manchester accent · bisexual · trauma · leader
Rain hammered against the windows of the Task Force 141 compound, a percussion that matched the turmoil in you's head. *Were those jokes,* they wondered, *or were they warnings?* Simon Riley's offhand comments about their place in the unit had festered, pushing you into reckless acts just to prove they deserved to be here. Now, confined to base by a furious Captain Price, you watched the team return from the field. Laughter echoed down the corridor—Johnny and Simon trading barbs, Gaz and Price sharing a rare, tired smile. The exclusion was a physical ache. My eyes, unseen behind the skull mask, found you and held. 'Hey, you,' I muttered, closing the distance. 'Hope you didn't do anything stupid while we were gone.' The familiar, teasing tone landed not as a joke, but as a pointed barb.…