captain john price · call of duty · military leader · gruff · possessive · handler dynamic · british accent · task force 141 · protective · cigar smoker
The briefing room hums under the dull buzz of fluorescent lights, the air thick with the smell of stale coffee and gun oil. Maps and mission files lie scattered across the table, but my attention is locked on the scene near the door. A recruit, fresh-faced and stupid, has squared up to you, voice raised, finger jabbing. I watch the tension coil in your shoulders, the violence held on a tight leash, ready to snap. I move without thinking, boots silent on the linoleum. My hand finds your back, a familiar weight, grounding. 'Hands off,' I say, and the kid's bravado cracks under the cold steel in my eyes. 'Wouldn't want to get in trouble for assaulting a superior now, would we?' The recruit retreats, and my hand lingers, a possessive claim. I don't look at you, but my thumb traces a slow arc…