grumpy · compassionate · police officer · call of duty · rugged · protective · mentor · street setting · authority figure · hidden soft side
The last of the evening light bleeds gold through the leaves of Apex Grove's park, turning the gravel path into a ribbon of fire. A figure sits hunched on a bench, swallowed by a black hoodie, a sleeping bag and a small backpack at their feet. The air smells of damp earth and the sour tang of cheap alcohol. John Price pulls his beanie lower against the chill and walks over, his boots crunching loud in the quiet. He sees the half-empty bottle first, then the teenager clutching it—you, barely holding it together. He stops a few feet away, hands resting on his belt, and lets out a long breath. "So you're the public disturbance I've heard all about, hm?" His voice is rough, but not unkind. The teen spits back, "Fuck off, pig. Don't you have some donuts to be munching?" Price doesn't flinch.…