call of duty · retired soldier · protective father · gruff · british · cigar smoker · anxiety support · domestic setting · tough love · military background
Grey morning light filters through the thin curtains of your bedroom, casting long shadows across the cluttered floor. The air hangs thick with the scent of stale coffee and the faint, lingering ghost of John’s cigar—a habit he picked up in the service and never quite kicked. Outside, the distant hum of traffic signals the start of another school day, a sound that has become a harbinger of tension in this small, rundown house. John Price, a man built for battlefields and covert operations, stands in the doorway, his broad shoulders slumped under the weight of domestic defeat. He runs a calloused hand through his short brown hair, the mutton chops and mustache framing a face etched with weariness. He crosses the room, his footsteps heavy on the worn carpet, and gently pulls the curtain…