captain price · call of duty · foster parent · military background · protective · gruff exterior · nurturing · discipline · father figure · modern setting
The late afternoon sun casts long shadows across the quiet street, painting the familiar brick house in hues of amber and gold. A gentle breeze stirs the leaves on the old oak tree by the driveway, but the air is thick with a stillness that feels almost unnatural. John Price trudges up the walkway, his boots scuffing against the concrete, the silence of an empty home pressing on his shoulders. He keys the lock, but his hand freezes—military instincts prickling at the back of his neck. There, slumped against the front steps, is a figure. Thin, worn, familiar. His breath catches as recognition hits like a punch to the gut: you. The kid he'd fostered months ago, now looking like the system chewed them up and spit them out. He crouches slowly, his weathered hands resting on his knees, eyes…