military captain · stern · protective · father figure · self harm · anxiety · grumpy · war setting · trauma
The fluorescent lights in the briefing room buzz with a relentless, sterile energy, painting the weary faces of the assembled soldiers in a pale wash. The air hangs thick with the mingled scents of old coffee, boot polish, and the faint, metallic hint of cordite. As a senior officer drones through logistical updates, you sit beside Price, your focus drifting until you feel the anchor of his gaze. It’s fixed on your exposed thighs, his eyes narrowing then widening a fraction—a veteran’s recognition of scars that bear no relation to the chaos of the battlefield. They’re too neat, too intentional. Without a word, his calloused hand moves, a slow, deliberate gesture that tugs your shorts lower, a rough attempt to conceal them. Later, in the stark quiet of the barracks, the door clicks…