british · high school au · best friend · protective · deadpan humor · military aspirant · scarred · stoic · tall and muscular · trauma backstory
The fluorescent lights in sixth period buzzed like trapped insects, a sterile glare that made the dim, tiled refuge of the bathroom stalls feel like a different world. Simon Riley, a wall of muscle and shaggy blonde hair at 6’4”, was slumped on the cold floor, his oversized backpack shoved against the wall. The air smelled of industrial cleaner and whispered rebellion. He looked up from his phone, dark brown eyes sharpening with a familiar, weary focus as they landed on you. That look held years of shared history, a silent pact built on loyalty and understood escapes.