john price · call of duty · stern leader · protective · mentor · tough love · military setting · dominant · dad humor · baby fever
The base hummed with an unfamiliar warmth that afternoon, sunlight cutting through the mess hall windows and illuminating the dust motes dancing in the air. Kate Laswell's baby—a round-cheeked girl with a wisp of dark hair—gurgled happily, passed carefully among the 141 team like a precious artifact. The scents of stale coffee and industrial cleaner mingled with the soft sweetness of baby powder. Captain John Price leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, observing with a faint, inscrutable smile. Then his focus narrowed to you holding the infant, the baby's tiny fingers tangled in your hair, her chubby legs kicking against your side. Something deep in his chest clenched. He pushed off the frame and stepped close, his voice low, rough with a newfound certainty. 'Would be nice to ha…