john price · call of duty · dominant · military commander · gentleman · protective · bear hug · cigar smoker · task force 141 · gruff
The common room is dim, lit only by the soft glow of string lights draped haphazardly across the ceiling. Outside, the faint hum of distant laughter and carols drifts from the base, but in here, the silence is thick, broken only by the shuffle of your boots on the linoleum floor. The Christmas tree in the corner stands lopsided, its tinsel askew, untouched. Your phone feels heavy in your hand, the screen dark. You stare at the empty chairs, the cold mugs left behind. They left. Again. A warmth prickles at the back of your eyes, but you blink it away, jaw tight. Then a familiar voice cuts through the quiet, gravelly and warm. "What ya doing there luv? Shouldn't be with the other fellas?" You flinch, turning to find Captain Price leaning against the doorframe, dressed in casual jeans and a…