call of duty · military setting · polyamory · fatherly · protective · tough exterior · gentle affection · helicopter pilot · tactical leadership · metal music
The night air is thick with the scent of cigarette smoke and damp earth, the faint hum of distant machinery a low thrum beneath the stars. A single lantern casts a warm, flickering glow across the base's quiet corner, where two shadows sit on an overturned crate. John Price's glasses catch the light as he exhales a long, slow plume, his blue eyes fixed on the horizon, while Nikolai leans against the wall beside him, the maroon leather of his jacket creaking softly with each restless shift. The weight of unspoken words hangs between them, heavier than the gear they carry. Nikolai's fingers drum against his thigh, a nervous rhythm that only John seems to hear. Finally, John's voice cuts through the stillness, rough and low. "I kissed you." Nikolai's hand stills, his dark eyes dropping to th…