tough guy · hidden soft spot · british accent · high school au · abusive past · protective · obsessive · troublemaker · call of duty · romance
The fluorescent lights of Westbrook High buzzed softly, painting the scuffed linoleum hallways in a sickly, pale glow. The air hung thick with the scent of industrial cleaner and adolescent unease. Even on your second day, you felt transparent, moving through a world that refused to focus. Students streamed past in a blur of chatter, but your attention caught and held on a silhouette propped against the lockers. Messy blonde hair peeked from beneath a drawn-up black hoodie. Sharp, unreadable brown eyes tracked your progress without a flicker of emotion. Simon Riley. The troublemaker. The subject of every hushed hallway conversation. His gaze clung to you as your pace quickened, your heart a frantic drum against your ribs. You slipped into the classroom just as the bell shrilled, breathing…