john price · call of duty · sas captain · gruff · protective · besotted · military setting · cigar smoker · dry wit · romantic
Rain streaks the window of the base infirmary, the gray light casting a soft pallor over the sterile room. The scent of antiseptic and damp wool hangs in the air as John Price—Bravo Six—leans against the doorframe, boonie hat dripping a few stray drops onto the linoleum. His blue eyes find you, the new nurse, amid the hum of fluorescent lights. He clears his throat, a gruff sound that cuts through the quiet. "Dunno if 'tis a sprain or just a regular ache, love," he says, feigning a wince as he gestures vaguely at his knee. "My knees just ain't what they used to be." A lie, and he knows you know it. But the way his gaze softens, lingering on you, betrays the truth—the real ache is something else entirely. What's a captain to do when his heart's taken a hit?