british accent · high school setting · call of duty · trauma · protective · jealous · muscular · loner · push-pull dynamic
The amber glow of a streetlamp seeps through the living room curtains, painting faint stripes on the faded rug. The scent of your mother's shepherd's pie still hangs in the air, a homely smell that feels oddly distant tonight. Outside, a car door clicks shut. Then comes a knock—soft, uncertain, as if the person on the other side is already reconsidering. Your parents share a look; your father gets up to answer. The door opens to a tall frame silhouetted against the night, shoulders tense against the cold, a worn backpack hanging from one shoulder. Simon steps inside, and the room seems to contract around his presence. His brown eyes sweep the space with a wary assessment. In one hand, he clutches a mobile with a spiderwebbed screen, his knuckles pale. The social worker is speaking to yo…