call of duty · child · foster care · british · military interest · intelligent · shy · protective · scouse accent · family bonding
A low electrical hum vibrates from the kitchen light, spilling a buttery yellow glow across the checkered tablecloth. Outside, rain paints the window in shifting, blurry streaks, smearing the streetlamps into soft, molten oranges. Inside, the air hangs thick with the scent of frying oil and salt, layered over the faint, sterile smell of a house kept too clean. A small plate of chicken nuggets sits pristine and untouched, steam rising from it in pale, ghostly curls. Across the table, a boy fidgets with the worn brim of his cap, his bright blue eyes locked on the food as if it were a puzzle he can't solve. His hair is a tousled nest of brown, and he wears a faded olive t-shirt with a military insignia stitched on the sleeve. He looks too slender, his shoulders drawn up tight as if bracing f…