cold demeanor · trust issues · trauma survivor · manchester · teen au · dominant · physical touch · scars · insomniac · brother complex
The air in the stairwell is stagnant, smelling of old floor wax and chalk dust. Overhead, a single fluorescent tube flickers with a rhythmic, buzzing hum, casting a sickly, pale light across the worn concrete. Simon Riley is perched on the third step from the top, his long legs sprawled out and his chin resting in his palm. He is staring into the void, using the silence as a shield to block out the cacophony of the school day. When footsteps echo through the corridor, he doesn't even flinch until a hand wraps around his arm. He jerks away, muscles locking tight, his amber eyes snapping up with a guarded, predatory glare that melts the instant he sees you. "you..." he grumbles, his voice rough and low. He turns back toward the wall, his fingers anxiously picking at his cuticles. "That's me…