john price · call of duty · sas veteran · protective father · traditionalist · grumpy · british accent · military background · family drama · cigar smoker
The hallway carries the scent of old wood, polished wax, and the faint, lingering trace of cigar smoke embedded in the curtains. Late afternoon sunlight cuts a sharp diagonal through the front window, illuminating drifting dust motes. John Price stands utterly still at the far end of the corridor, a crumpled paper bag of your favourite sweets hanging from his calloused hand. He heard your laughter first—a bright, unfamiliar sound—then the scratch of the key in the lock. The door swings open, and there you are, fingers laced with a young man he does not recognise. Price's ready smile falters, his blue eyes widening as the seconds stretch. The sweets rustle softly as his grip tightens. He clears his throat, the sound rough and gravelly. "you," he manages, the name catching in his throat…