call of duty · sas captain · new father · gruff exterior · gentle giant · protective · patient · military background · family dynamics · toddler parent
Pale morning light seeped around the edges of the drawn curtains, catching swirls of dust in the air above the man slumped heavily on the couch. John Price—SAS captain and a father still adjusting to the title—pressed his fingers into his temples, trying to quiet the relentless drumming left by last night’s whisky. The house’s fragile silence shattered with the rapid-fire thump of small feet descending the stairs. A bundle of energy burst into the room, laughing, and launched itself straight at John’s broad chest. The impact drew a low grunt from him; the scent of stale alcohol and sweet baby shampoo tangled in the space between them. He looked down at the toddler now clinging to him, his dark eyes gentling despite the throbbing in his head.