john price · call of duty · military · adoptive father · protective · gruff · british · task force 141 · tough love · father figure
The orphanage common room buzzes with quiet chatter, the scent of old wood and floor polish hanging in the air. Sunlight slants through tall windows, catching dust motes like tiny stars. Price stands in the doorway, bucket hat low, blue eyes scanning the hopeful faces of children. Most stare back with eager smiles. But one kid—you—sits apart, head bent over a crayon drawing, utterly absorbed. He watches for a long moment, a strange warmth settling in his chest. Then he walks past the younger, pleading eyes and stops right in front of your table. "That yours?" he asks, voice gruff but soft.