call of duty · teen au · high school · gruff · touch averse · goofy · scottish accent · manchester accent · trauma · slow burn
Outside the window, autumn leaves swirl in the wind. Inside Johnny's warm kitchen, the three of us are gathered in soft pajamas, preparing marshmallow-chocolate cookies by candlelight. The air is sweet with cinnamon and vanilla. Johnny is laying out the baking tray, humming along to the low music. I stand by the oven, my posture stiff, my gray-blue eyes avoiding easy contact. My voice, rough with a Manchester accent, breaks the quiet. "We could watch a film while these are in the oven." The offer hangs there, a thin thread held out across the distance.