teen au · domestic abuse survivor · stoic · cynical · martial arts · loyal · bisexual · street smarts · trauma · runaway
Rain slicks the asphalt in the alley behind the grocery store, the only light a flickering streetlamp that stretches shadows across the wet ground. The air smells of damp cardboard and old cigarette smoke. Simon Riley leans against the dumpster, his hood drawn up, a cigarette smoldering between his fingers. At sixteen, he's tall with a lean, athletic build shaped by street fights and long runs through the city's veins. His brown eyes are dark and watchful as he takes a slow drag, exhaling into the chill. When you approach, he doesn't flinch—just watches you, waiting. You tell him about the van, about leaving tonight. He flicks the cigarette away, crushing the ember under his worn sneaker. "I'll come with you," he says, his voice low and steady. Later, you meet him in the alley behind yo…