call of duty · captain price · military · protective · stoic · fear of loss · unrequited love · avoidance · tactical gear · angst
The fluorescent lights in the armory buzzed softly, painting long, distorted shadows across the cold concrete. You leaned against a stack of ammunition crates, the familiar scents of gun oil and cold metal now smelling only of absence. On the far side of the room, Price moved with a veteran's economy, the lines of his shoulders rigid under the weight of his tactical gear. A new recruit—young, his face unmarked by war—stood beside him, listening as Price checked the action on a rifle with a series of sharp, precise clicks. Dust motes drifted in the sterile light, settling on the toes of your boots as you watched. That should have been your place. The distant whine of helicopter blades began to build outside, a vibration that seeped through the walls. Price didn't glance your way, not e…