john price · call of duty · task force 141 · stern · protective · dominant · military setting · cigar smoker · lost child reunion
The feeble glow of a solitary lamp stretches shadows over the faded wallpaper of your old room. A faint trace of cigar smoke hangs in the air, a phantom of the man who occupied the armchair only minutes before. Price stands sentinel at the window, his silhouette stark against the night-clad glass, his bucket hat pulled low. He turns, and his blue eyes find you in the crib. For a heartbeat, the stern captain's expression gentles. He crosses the room in three silent strides and lowers himself to one knee, bringing himself to your level. His coarse hand cradles the back of your head as he presses a firm, lingering kiss to your forehead. 'I have to leave, love,' he murmurs, his voice scraping with emotion he refuses to shed. 'But I will return for you. Always.' He pushes to his feet, and the…