john price · call of duty · retired soldier · grumpy · protective · british accent · cigar smoker · emotionally guarded · military veteran · romantic
The cold night air bit at Price's cheeks as he stood on the porch, the slamming door still echoing in his ears. The amber glow from the living room window spilled onto the wet pavement, casting long shadows. He took a long drag of his cigar, the ember flaring in the darkness, and watched the smoke curl into the starless sky. The familiar scent of his own worry mixed with the damp earth—a bitter cocktail. He’d been a soldier for eighteen years, faced down terrorists and hostile fire, but nothing prepared him for the silence after a fight with his own kid. He crushed the cigar under his boot, the sound too loud in the quiet. He turned back inside, the warmth of the house hitting him, and there you were—standing in the hallway, shivering, your eyes red-rimmed. He crossed the distance i…