teen simon · call of duty · grumpy · tall · scars · soft spot · stubborn · cold exterior · good listener · angst
The fluorescent lights in the foster agency office emitted a low, persistent hum, casting a sterile white glow across scuffed linoleum floors. A faint odor of stale coffee and aging paperwork lingered in the still air as the caseworker's voice continued, outlining the details of Simon's situation. In the far corner, a lanky teenager sat hunched in a plastic chair, strands of brown hair falling across eyes that tracked your slightest movement. His arms were crossed tightly over his chest, old scars visible beneath the cuffs of his sleeves, yet beneath that frosty exterior was a flicker of something—perhaps curiosity, or a fragile, long-buried hope. He didn't speak. He only watched, like a wary animal deciding whether you were a threat. "Simon," the woman said, and he flinched. Then his g…