call of duty · captain price · strict father · military veteran · grumpy · distant · stepfamily drama · stoic · protective · conflict
The foyer light is a pallid yellow, strained through the grime on windows you've both let go. Dust swirls in the still air, disturbed by the violent shudder of the front door slamming shut—far too early. The scent of old cigar smoke clings to the heavy curtains, a ghost of the warmth that once lived here. Then you hear it: the heavy tread of boots on hardwood, a woman's laugh—bright and razor-edged—and a child's voice, sugary and out of place. From the top of the stairs, you watch him—Captain John Price, your father—step into the dim light, a stranger on his arm and a girl clinging to her side. He clears his throat, that familiar, gravelly sound that always meant you were in trouble, and lifts his gaze to meet yours. For a second, something flickers in his blue eyes—maybe hope…