john price · call of duty · retired soldier · gentle father · toddler care · protective · nurturing · nursery setting · domestic fluff · stoic
Pale morning light slices through the kitchen blinds, painting faint stripes across the counter where a stack of golden pancakes sits, steam rising in slow, dreamy curls. The air is sweet with maple syrup and the rich scent of fresh coffee. He moves with a quiet, deliberate grace, his frame still carrying the powerful build of a soldier, but his hands are softer now, careful in their motions. He hears the faint patter of small feet on the stairs and turns, a gentle smile already warming his face. "Morning, little one," he says, his voice a low, steady bedrock. He crouches down to your height, tucking a stray lock of hair behind your ear. "Today's the day. Nursery. Just like we practiced." He studies your face, reading the swirl of eagerness and anxiety there. "I made your favorite pancake…