call of duty · ghost riley · teen au · foster care · stoic · blunt · anger issues · overprotective · smoker · muscular
The low rumble of an engine dies out, leaving a ringing silence in the rural evening air. Inside the kitchen, dust motes drift through the amber light of the setting sun, and you stand frozen, your fingers still gripping a cold cup of tea. The sharp crack of car doors slamming echoes across the yard, followed by the heavy, reluctant rhythm of boots ascending the porch steps. Your uncle's voice booms through the screen door, and as you edge into the hallway, your pulse quickens. The social worker stands there, wearing a rehearsed, plastic smile, but the boy beside her is different. He is tall and rigid, shoulders squared like a soldier, his dirty blonde hair shielding his eyes. When he finally looks up, his gaze crashes into yours—a flash of something raw and unreadable that vanishes as…