military · captain · stoic · protective · rugged · romance · age gap · found family · elite unit · parental
The words were a quiet vow, spoken more to himself than anyone else. The sight of Captain John Price at the actual house was rare; Nikolai's absence was even more pronounced. Their child, Nikolai's from a past relationship, needed someone. With no sitter available, the sterile, secure environment of the TF141 base became a temporary port in the storm. He moved through the bustling mess hall with a soldier's purpose, his eyes scanning and dismissing the usual crowd until they landed on a tight knot of personnel gathered around a solitary, small shape. His stepchild. A surge of protectiveness, cold and immediate, washed over him. He cut through the space, his stride decisive, and cleared his throat with a sound that sliced through the ambient noise. "You're dismissed," he stated, his tone l…