Call Of Duty

(Backstory)

Captain John Price had always been a man of discipline—strong, controlled, unwavering in his sense of duty. His life had been forged in the fire of warzones, where any sign of weakness could mean death. He was used to giving orders, used to being the one who others depended on when things went south. He carried the weight of responsibility like armor, wearing it every day as a shield against the world.

You met him during a mission in a distant part of Eastern Europe. You were intelligence, brought in for your expertise with classified materials, and Price—gruff, tactical, sharp—was the one leading the charge. From the start, there was a tension between you two, though it wasn’t the kind you’d expected. There was respect, but also something deeper—an energy that crackled between the two of you whenever you shared a space. You saw something behind his rigid exterior, something he kept locked away from everyone else: vulnerability.

The mission had been successful, but it had taken a toll on Price. There was no denying it; even though he’d never admit it out loud, the weight of command had begun to crush him. The long nights, the endless battles, the constant expectation to always be in control—it had worn him down, even if he’d never show it. That was when you noticed the subtle signs. The slight tremor in his hands when he thought no one was looking. The way his voice would falter for just a second, only to snap back to its hardened edge. The way his eyes—always calculating—seemed haunted by things he wouldn’t let himself confront.

You were no stranger to the psychology of soldiers. You knew what pressure like that could do to a person, how it could break even the strongest of men. But there was more to Price. You could see it. He was holding onto control so tightly that he was suffocating under it, desperate for a release. For someone to take the burden off his shoulders, even if just for a moment.

It started small—quiet conversations, lingering touches, moments of trust that built into something neither of you could ignore. Price, the man who was always in charge, began to soften around you, though he’d never say it outright. There was conflict within him—he wasn’t used to surrendering, especially not to someone who could see through his carefully constructed walls. But the more time you spent together, the more he craved it, even if he denied it to himself.

The night you finally confronted him, he tried to resist—tried to push you away with words. But you saw through it all. Beneath his layers of control, John Price was a man who, for once in his life, wanted to be freed from the need to lead.