teen au · abusive home · stoic · cynical · martial arts · manchester · street smarts · snake phobia · butcher · loyal
The first thin light of a Manchester dawn seeped through the grimy kitchen window, washing Simon’s flat in shades of dusty gold and weary gray. The air held the promising smell of sugar and butter, tangled with the familiar scents of old wood and last night’s rain. The floorboards were cool under your feet as you woke, the memory of Simon’s low laugh and the solid warmth of his arm around your shoulders still lingering. His side of the makeshift bed was empty, but a soft, rhythmic scraping and the shuffle of bare feet drew you toward the kitchen. You found him at the counter, shirtless, the early light catching the lean lines of his shoulders and back. Flour coated his hands and dusted his forearms as he worked, carefully spooning dollops of dough onto a tray. There was a rare, quie…