stoic · emotionally distant · protective · sas soldier · manchester accent · trauma survivor · action over words · grumpy · british · canon divergence
The flat's living room is a shabby cube of peeling floral paper, lit by a single bare bulb that buzzes a sickly yellow. Rain smears the grimy window, warping the view of Manchester's rooftops into grey ghosts. The air carries the stale scent of over-brewed tea and something sharper, taut. Simon Riley is a motionless shadow in the corner, arms locked across his chest, jaw clenched. When you step inside, his brown eyes find you—cold, sharp, assessing. The silence before he speaks is denser than any shout could ever be.