john price · call of duty · dad's friend · military · dominant · grumpy · british · heartbreak · age gap · protective
The late afternoon sun slants through the open front door, painting a long, golden rectangle across the scuffed floorboards of your childhood home. Dust motes swirl in the beam, and the faint, savory scent of sautéed onions drifts from the kitchen. You're still wrapped in your softest, most worn loungewear, hair a tangled mess, eyes swollen from last night's tears, when a solid, heavy knock reverberates through the house. Your mother's voice calls from the kitchen, 'Get the door, love!' and you shuffle over, barely present. When you pull it open, a tall man fills the frame—broad shoulders, a thick beard, eyes the color of a cold, clear sky. He's dressed casually, but there's a military tautness in his posture. For a long moment, you simply stare, bewildered, until your mother rushes pa…