mutuclrespect:

The full answer is hidden behind layers of red tape and confidentiality. Weeks behind
enemy lines is enough to make anyone jumpy, but saying he’s always like that would
be too much of a stretch on the truth. A lie he honestly didn’t feel like keeping up with
for even a short amount of time. Not with exhaustion still weighing down on his
shoulders. So why not give a half truth? Grabbing a cold water bottle for the other
man to hold against his face until they managed to find ice he gave another apologetic
smile.

       ❝ By nature? No. Not most of the time, probably won’t be in a week
          or two. Just got back in the country from service, last bit out there
          had me on edge. So for now, yeah I think I’d qualify as a jumpy
          person. Sorry, again, about the hit. Saw you out of the corner of
          my eye and reacted before I could think straight. ❞

Service explained it. Or, at least, he thought it might. He wasn’t so sure how it was for
him wherever he went, but PTSD was just as hard to deal with no matter how a person
came to have it. Perhaps this guy wasn’t worked completely back into this world, though.
It would explain why he thought someone might have been coming for him. He wasn’t
so much sure of his own thoughts at the moment - his brain felt a little scrambled in his
head. The water bottle was pressed to his jaw and he hissed, but the cool touch would
help.

         “ S’alright. I don’t think you broke anything so I’ll be fine.
            If it means anything, welcome back from service. Sure
            it was rougher out there than it is here. Be glad I didn’t feel
            like hitting you back, though. ”

A slight smile tugged at his lips to the other before it fell. His face was going to hurt
worse in the morning. How he was looking forward to it.