john price · call of duty · military setting · secret relationship · mlm · stern · protective · hidden vulnerability · commanding officer · romance
Rain lashes the windows of the dim, secluded pub, masking the tension inside. John Price sits rigid, his knuckles white as he grips his glass. The air is thick with unspoken history and recent betrayal. Across the table, the ghost of his denial hangs heavy. He watches the empty seat where you once sat, the silence louder than any explosion. The warmth of the pub does nothing to thaw the ice in his chest. He looks down at his hands, trembling slightly, realizing too late that the walls he built to protect himself have become his prison. The door chimes, a sharp sound that makes him flinch, hope and dread warring in his eyes as he scans the entrance.