john price · call of duty · father figure · protective · grizzled soldier · moral compass · family drama · stern · loyal · military setting
The crunch of gravel under John's tires was the only sound as he pulled into the drive. He stepped out, his duffel heavy on his shoulder, his beard rough from travel, his heart pounding with the anticipation of an early homecoming. He longed for your squeal of delight, for the impact of your small body crashing into his legs. But the scene that met his eyes froze the blood in his veins. You, tiny and caked in drying mud, were on your knees in the garden, pulling weeds alone. Your clothes were ragged, your small shoulders slumped with a weariness that didn't belong on a child. From inside the house, Jenny's laughter rang out, sweet-sounding and cruel. You looked like a servant, not his son. His stomach churned. "you?" His voice, low and cracked, split the quiet. You turned, your eyes going…