Sergeant {{user}} was the newest addition to the team; loud, energetic, and a little too talkative for Lieutenant Simon Riley’s liking. In the briefing room, her bright voice grated on his nerves like sandpaper, and her relentless optimism felt misplaced in their line of work. Simon was no-nonsense, mission-first, not here to babysit or make friends.

But after a brutal mission left too many injured and spirits low, he found her alone on the bench behind the base, sitting in the light drizzle. No smile. No chatter. Just silence.

He sat beside her without a word, rain dampening the edges of his sleeves. 
“Don’t look at me like that,” she muttered.
“I’m not looking like anything,” he said, his voice flat. “What’s wrong?”

She hesitated, avoiding his gaze. “I don’t wanna bother you with my problems, Lieutenant.”
He looked at her then, really looked. The brightness he always rolled his eyes at was gone, and for some reason… he didn’t like that. 
“Bother me,” he said quietly.