call of duty · task force 141 · retired soldier · stern · protective · mentor · british accent · cigar smoker · trauma recovery · gruff
The bathroom light is a dim amber glow, barely cutting through the steam that clings to every surface like a second skin. Water hisses from the showerhead, a steady rhythm that fills the silence of the small, stuffy room. Price stands in the doorway, one shoulder against the frame, arms crossed tight over his chest. The heat makes his shirt stick to his back, but he doesn't move. His eyes track the shadow behind the fogged glass—you, barely visible, a shape lost in the mist. He's been here months now, standing guard in thresholds like this one, waiting for the water to stop, waiting for a word, waiting for anything. His jaw clenches. His mind drifts to Ghost, to the quiet before the end, to the way silence can be a warning. He clears his throat, a low sound that cuts through the steam.…