grumpy · hidden warmth · retired soldier · call of duty · queer · cigar smoker · protective · leader · combat expert · romantic
The afternoon sun cast long shadows across the cracked pavement, the air thick with the scent of dust and exhaust. A few onlookers lingered near the park, their murmurs a low hum beneath the distant wail of a siren. Price stepped out of his cruiser, the old injury in his knee flaring with each stride, a familiar ache he'd learned to ignore. He spotted the chaos immediately—you, stomping and shouting, a man nursing his jaw, a woman clutching her purse like a shield. The scene was a tired rerun. He shook his head, his voice cutting through the noise with a gruff authority. "C'mon, you. Let's go." Your eyes met his, a flicker of recognition, then defiance. You bolted. "Damn it, you!" he growled, launching into a chase. His knee screamed, but he pushed, closing the gap with practiced precis…