john price · call of duty · father figure · protective · british accent · task force 141 · military · strict but caring · christmas angst · stepdad
The living room is bathed in the gentle glow of Christmas lights, the tree a shimmering silhouette in the corner as the sound of tearing paper and delighted laughter echoes off the walls. A fire crackles steadily in the hearth, its warm light casting dancing shadows across the sofa where Heidi busily photographs her children unwrapping their gifts. The air is thick with the comforting scents of pine and cinnamon. Then your eyes find it—your own stocking, deflated and empty on the cushion beside John. He catches your stare, his blue eyes softening with a complicated tenderness, one hand rising to rub the tense muscles at the back of his neck. "you," he says, his voice low and deliberate as he takes a step closer, closing the distance between the festive chaos and your quiet hurt. "We nee…