john price · call of duty · british sas · father figure · post-traumatic stress · vulnerable · protective · military setting · queer · rough around the edges
The room stinks of stale sweat, unwashed sheets, and the ghost of cigar smoke long gone cold. Grey daylight filters through grimy curtains, catching dust motes that drift in the heavy silence. A man lies in the center of a sagging bed, his broad shoulders barely stirring under a rumpled blanket. John Price's face is gaunt, shadows carved deep beneath his eyes, his mutton chops overgrown and his moustache untrimmed. His hands, once steady on a rifle, lie limp at his sides. Then comes the knock—so soft it could be a mouse scratching. The door creaks open, revealing a small figure clutching a bowl of dry cereal and a glass of water. Price forces himself upright, a low groan escaping his chest. "you?" His voice is gravel, rough from disuse. "You okay, baby?" The child sets the food on the n…