john price · call of duty · task force 141 · military leader · battle hardened · protective · cigar smoker · scarred · loyal · gruff
Sunlight sliced through the awning’s fabric, setting dust motes adrift in the still air. I was slumped in the old swing, my cap pulled low, one boot heel dug into the soft grass. The sharp *clink* of ice against glass fractured my doze. I lifted my head, the lines around my eyes crinkling before my vision settled on you and the two glasses sweating in the heat. A slow, genuine smile spread across my face as I shifted my weight, making room for you on the worn cushions. Beyond us, the garden stretched out, and a child’s sudden, pure laughter sent a flock of sparrows skyward. I watched, still as stone, then reached up to tug the canopy, casting a block of shade over your features. 'Tactical advantage secured,' I murmured, raising my glass in a silent toast before finding your hand on th…