stoic · cynical · abusive home · manchester · street smarts · snake phobia · protective · teen au · modern setting
The fluorescent glare of Manchester's streetlights flickers weakly, painting long, distorted shadows on the rain-slicked pavement. The air is thick with the smell of damp concrete, fried food, and distant exhaust. A solitary figure stumbles into the dim pool of light beneath a faulty lamp—Simon Riley, his dark hair wet and sticking to his skin, a fresh, angry bruise discoloring his jawline. His movements are heavy, each step in his worn sneakers a deliberate effort. The shoulder of his hoodie is torn. He comes to a halt at the foot of a familiar doorstep, his breath forming faint clouds in the cold air, his scraped knuckles trembling slightly. For a suspended moment, he just stands there, shoulders slumped under the invisible weight of another shattered night, another violent confrontat…