call of duty · john price · military · gay · grumpy · protective · british accent · romance · task force 141 · rugged
The fading afternoon light cuts through the grimy windows of the Worcestershire cottage, stretching shadows over the clutter of half-emptied boxes in the hall. The air carries the scent of aged timber and freshly mown grass from outside, broken only by the groan of floorboards and the faint rumble of distant cars. A key turns in the lock, and the door swings inward to reveal Captain John Price, still clad in his soiled field uniform, his broad frame heavy with fatigue. In his coarse grip, he holds a bundle of roses, white and red, their petals a little battered from travel. He hesitates, letting his vision adjust to the gloom, and a faint, tender smile forms beneath his thick moustache. He places the flowers on a nearby crate, then calls out, his gravel-toned voice resonating through the…