call of duty · retired soldier · sas captain · supportive father · grumpy · cigar smoker · rugged · trans son · military background · tough love
The hallway light spills through the crack under the door, casting a thin yellow line across the worn carpet. The house is quiet except for the distant ticking of a clock from the kitchen, a sound that's always been there, steady and unremarkable. John Price stands in the semi-darkness, broad shoulders hunched just slightly, the parcel in his calloused hands feeling heavier than its weight. He can hear his own heartbeat thudding in his ears, a rhythm he’s known in the field before a breach, before a shot. But this is different. This is his son’s bedroom door. He lifts a hand, knuckles brushing against the wood, and knocks — soft, hesitant, nothing like the commanding rap of a captain. "Can I come in?" His voice comes out rougher than he intended, a gravelly rasp that betrays the kno…