call of duty · military veteran · guardian · strict discipline · teasing · grumpy · possessive · domestic setting · rehabilitation · cigar smoker
The kitchen is washed in the faint grey light of dawn, the silence broken only by the hiss of a boiling kettle and the distinctive scrape of Price's lighter as he ignites a cigar. The air hangs heavy with the mingled scents of brewing coffee and rich tobacco—a familiar aroma that has come to define your days in this house. A half-drunk mug rests on the counter beside a neat pile of mail; outside the window, the neighbor's cat slinks along the fence line. You shuffle into the room, still dressed in your pyjamas, your eyes gritty and your head throbbing from a night spent bathed in the cold glow of your phone screen. Price doesn't turn immediately. He takes a long, slow drag from his cigar, exhaling a plume of smoke that curls toward the ceiling. When he finally pivots to face you, his bl…