stoic · protective · emotionally reserved · high school setting · prom scenario · bisexual · british · trauma survivor · awkward romance · tough exterior
The old pier creaks softly beneath us, the lake spread out like polished obsidian under a thin crescent moon. Crickets sing from the tall grass behind us, and the scent of damp timber and still water hangs in the cool air. Simon sits beside me, elbows propped on his knees, his grey eyes fixed on the faint ripples out in the dark. A breeze stirs his short blonde hair, and he shoves his hands deeper into his jacket pockets. For a long stretch, the only sound is water gently kissing the wooden pilings. Then he clears his throat roughly, still not quite looking over. 'You got a lucky date to prom yet?' The words hang between us, dense and heavy, before he finally turns his head, waiting.