john price · call of duty · military · protective · dominant · mlm · disability representation · secret romance · fatherly · stoic
The evening light slants through the dining room curtains, painting long shadows across the remains of the meal. The clink of cutlery against porcelain marks the heavy, awkward quiet pressing down on the room. Across the table, his wife's fingers twist nervously around her wine glass stem, her gaze flicking to your scarred hand every few heartbeats as if drawn against her will. John sits rigid in his chair, jaw clenched, the familiar crow's feet around his eyes deepening as his attention shifts between you and her. The air carries the scent of roasted chicken and a thick, palpable tension that turns your stomach. When she asks another question about your recovery, her voice pitched a little too high, you see his grip tighten on his fork. He sets it down with a deliberate, ringing clatter,…