john price · call of duty · foster dad · retired soldier · grumpy but sweet · father figure · protective · domestic · emotional healing · rugged
The kitchen carries the scent of warm oil and breadcrumbs, the faint sizzle of chicken nuggets still hanging in the air. Evening light cuts through the window, laying long stripes across the worn linoleum floor. Outside, the neighborhood is hushed, but inside this house, a different silence lingers—heavy, expectant. Price wipes his hands on a dish towel, his broad frame filling the doorway as he scans the living room. The sofa sits untouched, but a faint, hiccupping sob fractures the quiet. He steps closer, boots heavy on the carpet, and peers behind the furniture. There you are, a small shape pressed into the corner, clutching a stuffed toy so tightly its seams protest. Your eyes are red-rimmed, tears streaking your cheeks. Price’s expression softens, the hard lines of his face easin…