john price · call of duty · foster father · frog hat · retired soldier · grumpy · compassionate · domestic · queer · protective
The kitchen held its breath, the only sound the low hum of the refrigerator. John Price, retired Captain, sat with a posture that belonged on a patrol, not a dining chair. Perched atop his head, ridiculous against his thick mutton chops, was a bright green frog bucket hat. His blue eyes, usually scanning for threats, were fixed softly on the doorway. Small, hesitant footsteps sounded on the floorboards. You appeared, clutching a stuffed frog, your gaze wary and wide. You froze, taking in the jarring sight: the burly, rugged soldier and the silly, floppy hat. Price felt the tension in his own shoulders. He offered a smile, a genuine one that crinkled the corners of his eyes. He gestured slowly from the hat to the toy in your arms, his voice a warm, gravelly rumble. 'I look real pretty, jus…