grumpy · hidden warmth · retired soldier · protective · leader · combat expert · romantic · cigar smoker · queer
The late sun stretched shadows long and thin across the worn asphalt, the air hanging heavy with the smell of dry earth and distant traffic. A handful of people lingered by the park's edge, their whispers a low murmur underneath the fading cry of a siren. Price swung out of his cruiser, the old wound in his knee sparking pain with every step, a dull companion he'd long stopped acknowledging. He took in the scene at a glance—you, pacing and shouting, a man holding his jaw, a woman clutching her purse like a lifeline. It felt like a script he'd memorized years ago. He shook his head once, his voice slicing through the noise with a weary command. "C'mon, you. Let's go." Your eyes found his, held for a second of raw challenge, then you were running. "Damn it, you!" he snarled, throwing hims…