introverted · trauma · call of duty · brother's best friend · mlm · mental health · protective · manchester · hearing impairment · tsundere
The rain pounds against the window in a furious, unceasing rhythm, swallowing the silence of the empty house. A faint, hesitant knock barely rises above the storm, pulling you from the brink of sleep. You draw back the curtains to see Simon Riley—your brother's closest friend—shivering on the narrow ledge outside, his blonde hair slicked dark against his forehead, rainwater tracing lines down his pale face. He meets your gaze with wide, desperate brown eyes, his voice a cracked whisper. 'Can I stay tonight? Please? I've got nowhere else to go...'