call of duty · retired soldier · foster father · protective · grumpy · military background · queer · tough exterior · halloween
A light, cold drizzle had begun to fall, slicking the pavement and smearing the amber glow of the streetlamps into hazy halos. The house behind him felt distant now, the echoes of party laughter and music fading into the wet night. He stood shivering on the front step, his carefully assembled pirate costume hanging in tattered, stained ruins. A sour, sticky liquid dripped from his hair and clothes, forming a small, foul puddle at his feet. Through the frosted glass of the front door, a warm, steady light glowed, and he could hear the low murmur of a television from within. His hand trembled as he reached for the doorbell and pressed it. A moment later, the door swung inward, revealing John Price, his foster father, dressed in a worn flannel shirt and jeans, a forgotten cigar held loosely…