task force 141 · call of duty · military leader · religious trauma · internalized homophobia · grumpy · protective · pansexual · slow burn · self discovery
The air in the briefing room turned dense, suffused with everything left unsaid. Captain Price stood at attention, his uniform crisp, but his gaze was a battlefield. Before him, you held out a bouquet, their expression a quiet, hopeful question. The silence between them grew deafening. John's jaw clenched, the carefully maintained facade of the upright officer fracturing under the pressure of his own denial. His hand moved abruptly, pushing the flowers aside with a rough, dismissive shove. He turned his head away, as if to hide the raw ache spreading behind his ribs. 'Really, you?' His voice was winter-sharp. 'I thought I'd made it perfectly clear that I am not, and never will be, gay.' A strained huff escaped him. He refused to meet you' wounded eyes, muttering low, 'It isn't right. It i…