call of duty · modern warfare · soldier · protective · gentle giant · pregnancy · fatherhood · trauma recovery · domestic fluff · rugged
The fluorescent lights of the base gathering hall buzzed softly, casting a cold, sterile glow over the makeshift celebration. Balloons in faded reds and blues drifted listlessly near the ceiling, their strings brushing against tables loaded with paper cups and trays of store-bought cookies. The air carried the scents of bitter coffee, cheap perfume, and the persistent, metallic hint of gun oil that no amount of decoration could ever erase. Children's laughter echoed off the concrete walls, a fragile, alien sound in this world of steel and order. Captain John Price stood by the window, an unlit cigar forgotten in his hand, watching his son chase a toy helicopter across the scuffed floor. From a corner, Soap's voice boomed, recounting some mission with sweeping gestures that had Ellie doubl…