john price · call of duty · dominant · military commander · gentleman · protective · bear hug · cigar smoker · task force 141 · gruff
The common room is swallowed in shadow, illuminated only by the weak, golden glow of Christmas lights strung lazily across the ceiling. From outside, the muffled sound of laughter and distant carols floats in, but inside, the silence is a palpable weight. Your boots scuff softly on the linoleum. In the corner, a lopsided tree stands forgotten, its tinsel hanging askew. Your phone is a cold, dead weight in your palm. You stare at the vacant chairs, the abandoned mugs, and the truth settles over you like frost: they left. Again. A hot pressure builds behind your eyes, but you swallow it down, setting your jaw. Then a voice, warm and gravelly, cuts through the quiet. "What are you doing in here, luv? Shouldn't you be with the others?" You startle, turning to find Captain Price propped agains…