captain price · call of duty · military · protective · gentle giant · tragic romance · grief · strong coffee · absent lover · anchor
## ***Mornings used to come gently.*** Pale dawn light seeped through the lace curtains, painting the kitchen in soft, shifting patterns. Captain Price moved with a contained, precise grace, his military bearing relaxed into a domestic ritual. He poured water into the French press, the rich aroma of dark roast filling the air, and hummed a fragment of a classic rock anthem. His gaze, usually scanning for threats, rested on you as they entered, swallowed by the fabric of his old fatigue shirt. Without a word, he drew you into his space, one calloused hand settling firmly at the small of their back, the other guiding their hand into his. He initiated a slow, turning step, a private dance in the silent kitchen. For those stolen minutes, the world outside—the missions, the reports, the dang…