Chapter Text
Captain John Price had been in the military since he was 16 years old. He was one of the youngest cadets which certainly got his name stuck in most of the soldiers head. Nobody thought a man should join at such a young age. Well, boy is more the correct term for him back then. He served for 24 years. He wished to serve more, but he had sustained too many injuries at this point.
A few weeks ago, his brain had suffered from a head injury caused by a grenade that was thrown too close to him. He had been forced to go see the medics and upon further inspection on his body, they found out that it was slowly getting weaker with all the injuries splattered across him. Both external and internal.
If he wanted his body to stay fit and strong, he had to cause it less strain. Unfortunately, the military job didn't allow that, considering that most of the time it required an extreme amount of physical work. The Captain had no other choice but to retire. He was happy with his time as a soldier. He made friends that he considered family.
Yesterday was his last day. The team and a lot of other soldiers went to the pub a few minutes away to celebrate. It was a happy one. They sang and played pool, made bets on who would get hit on, sang and danced to music that was cranked so high up that it resonated from the outside.
Coincidentally, the first one to get hit on was the man of the night himself. He had left the group to go and grab himself another whiskey. He expected to see Sam (the usual barkeeper), but instead it was a woman. A rather young looking one. She had blond hair, green eyes and a smile that could make any man fall under her fingers. In fact, a lot of men were at the bar, just to try and get her number. She flirted with all of them, and Price knew that she was simply enjoying all the attention she was getting. Once her eyes caught Price's being she ignored the other men and leaned over the counter clearly doing on purpose to pull her arms closer so her breasts would be more prominent. In Price's opinion, any woman who did exactly what she was doing -flirting and teasing other men- was only an attention seeker. So he simply ignored her attempts at seduction and asked for his drink.
"I'll have a whisky neat."
"And would you like anything else with that hun?" She slightly bit her lip and he felt disturbed at the amount of boldness this woman has. She was clearly referring to herself.
"No thanks, doll." He gave a fake smile, successfully getting her to go pour his requested liquor.
He sat on a stool at the bar counter waiting for his whiskey. He couldn't wait to feel the burn in his throat once more. He took that time to look around him. The soldiers that had come along to celebrate had all been drinking. Some of them were drunk while others were getting there. He could see a few playing pool and laughing. He looked towards one of the less occupied part of the bar in and noticed a group of soldiers that he knew. They were one of the more troublesome soldiers. Often caused some sort of ruckus. They often get punished by being forced to do extra training. Such as extra laps around the base, extra cleaning duties and extra physical labor. If they still continued misbehaving the next day, they would be taken away their meals for two days. He was honestly impressed that they haven't gotten discharged yet. They kept looking and whispering about you who had no idea you were being called on.
His train of thoughts was pulled away when he felt something warm against his hand. He looked down and saw that his pint glass filled with whiskey and dripping foam. He also noticed that it was still in the woman's hand. He tried pulling it away so he could drink, but before he could her fingers slipped something in his hand. Some men were catcalling her as she was leaning on the counter.
"Sorry darlin'. Looks like I'm busy." She made a phone sign with her pinkie and thumb and winked at him before seductively walking over to serve the other men. He simply ignored the note she passed and and shoved it in her pocket.
He looked back at the group of soldiers and saw that they had advanced on you. You looked quite uncomfortable and simply wanted to be left alone. He waited to see if things would escalate. Even though he couldn't hear, you said something to make them go away, but only made them laugh. One of them placed his hands on your hips and Price immediately knew things could get bad.
He stood up to his full height and marched over to the group, his whiskey now long forgotten. As soon as you saw him, your eyes became wider. Like if you were expecting Price to join in on harassing you. Instead, he pulled off the man's hands from you and stood between both of you.
"What do you think you're doing soldier?"
"We're just havin' some harmless fun. Ain't we boys?" His words were slurred and heavy, clearly from the amount of alcohol he ingested.
"I don't believe the lady seems to be enjoying it as much as you are." he looked over his shoulder and effectievely saw you hiding behind him. He felt a sudden need to protect you. He turns his head back to look at the men. Upon seeing his glare, they all backed up other than the one who put his hands on your hips.
"Oh come on! Let us have some fun! I'm sure she'd love it too." He looks behind him and smirks at you, licking his lips.
"You need to back off soldier. I can get you discharged." His lips curled up in a silent threat, only causing the recruit to roll his eyes.
"I don't think you can do that anymore "Cap"." He could hear the sarcasm when he called him by his old rank.
He frowned and grabbed the man's collar. "I may no longer be a Captain, but I still overpower you by much force. So unless you want to drop from my fist instead of the alcohol, I suggest you back off mate."
The drunk soldier clearly understood the message and attempted to pull away from the bigger man's grip. Price shoved him into the little group of men that had backed up long ago and watched as he nearly fell to the floor if it wasn't for his buddies. They staggered away, some of them glaring at him.
He turned around to speak to you, but only an empty space remained. You weren't there. He looked around the bar, but couldn't see you in the mass of people. He felt disappointed, but didn't think of it too much. He did what he thought was right and that was it.
He went back to the bar to fetch his whiskey, hoping that it was still there. He felt a sense of relief and joy when he effectively saw it sitting on the counter. He grabbed it and made his way to the others, probably wondering what's taking him so long. He wish he could have talked to you. He didn't get to look at you that much but he was able to remember your facial features. You had rounder cheeks than most women and had light brown hair. That's all he could remember, but it was enough to want to see the rest of your face. Such as the color of your eyes and the size of your lips.
His thoughts were interrupted when he heard his name being called. He smiled and made his way over to his boys. He would miss them a lot once he was gone. Of course he would still stay in contact with them and they would visit him, but it wouldn't feel the same. He decided to move those thoughts with the ones of you to the back of his mind. He enjoyed the rest of the night with the people he spent most of his life with.
One week later
You watch as the moving truck rolls up to the old house that was for sale. The previous owners didn't stay for very long. You think it's only been a few months. Maybe 6. To be honest, you were happy that they were gone as selfish as that sounds. The truth is, is that they were very noisy neighbors. The man of the house would often work with a bunch of loud tools. You assumed that it was part of his job, and your theory was proven right when an 8 wheeler pulled up in front of the house. It was the same man who came out.
The reason why you didn't like him was because you had asked him if he could work when it was closer to the evening instead if early in the morning. You were nice about it, but he went defensive and yelled at you. Bad first impression you thought. Instead of doing nothing about your request, he started making noise earlier than before. More neighbors started complaining, yet each time he would go bigger. You eventually learned to stop harassing him, as he had gone all the way to 7 am. Now you would finally be able to get done sleep. You just hoped they new neighbor wouldn't be like that.
As you observed the moving truck, you couldn't help but wonder who your new neighbors would be. The memories of the previous ones and their disruptive habits were still fresh in your mind. The anticipation grew as you saw a familiar face stepping out of the truck. It was the man who had come to your rescue at the pub a week ago. You had learned that he was the Captain of the 141. A special forces team. Of course you didn't know anything else, considering it's confidential. You felt bad that you disappeared when he had saved you. You should have stayed, yet you thought it was best to not linger in case things get bad. You have this urge to go and apologize. He does seem like a nice man after all.
As the moving truck came to a halt, you hesitated for a moment before deciding to approach Captain Price. You wanted to express your gratitude and apologize for disappearing that night at the pub.
As you walked over, he noticed you and offered a friendly smile.
"Hey, Captain Price, right?" you began, a hint of nervousness in your voice.
He nodded, "That's right. But now it's just Price. No need for the formalities."
You took a deep breath and continued, "I just wanted to say thank you for stepping in that night at the pub. I appreciate your help. And, uh, sorry for disappearing like that. I didn't want to cause any trouble."
Price chuckled lightly, "No need to apologize. I was just making sure you were safe. Besides, it's all in the past now."
You felt a sense of relief hearing his understanding words. As the conversation continued, you learned more about Price's military background and his decision to retire due to injuries. He shared stories of his time in the special forces, the camaraderie he felt, and the bittersweet emotions of leaving that life behind.
As you helped him with a few boxes, you couldn't help but feel a connection growing. The noisy neighbors of the past were replaced with the presence of a man who had your back. Perhaps, this new chapter with Captain Price as your neighbor would bring a positive change, not just in your sleep schedule but also in the bond that was slowly forming between you and the retired soldier.
It felt like a repayed debt after helping him with a few boxes and you were pretty happy about the outcome if your new neighbor. From what you experienced so far, he was a tough guy on the outside, but soft on the inside. Like an egg.
As you and Price continued unpacking, exchanging stories, and getting to know each other, you couldn't help but appreciate the contrast between his tough exterior and the genuine kindness he displayed. The image of him protecting you at the pub seemed to align with the considerate person you were getting to know.
Days turned into weeks, and you found yourself frequently engaging in casual conversations with Price. The initial awkwardness transformed into a comfortable camaraderie, and you realized that your new neighbor was not just a retired soldier but also a down-to-earth person.
The bond between you two grew stronger with each passing day, and you couldn't help but feel grateful for having Price as a neighbor. The noisy neighbor from the past seemed like a distant memory, replaced by the genuine friendship that was flourishing in the present.
As you spent more time together, you discovered shared interests and common values. Price, although retired, continued to bring a sense of discipline and order to his daily life, a trait that you admired. You found comfort in his presence, and the once noisy surroundings transformed into a peaceful neighborhood.
One day, as you sat together on the porch sipping coffee, Price looked at you with a sincere smile and said, "You know, I was a bit uncertain about this retirement thing, but having a good neighbor like you has made the transition a lot smoother. Thanks for being there, not just that night at the pub, but every day since."
You couldn't help but smile back, appreciating the unexpected friendship that had blossomed. The connection between you and Price was a testament to the notion that sometimes, in the most unexpected places, you find the people who make a lasting impact on your life. As you continued enjoying the peaceful evenings on the porch, you couldn't help but feel grateful for the genuine friendship that had emerged from the twists of fate.
Part 2?? Let me know with votes and comments!