stoic · trauma · abusive past · military aspirant · high school setting · bisexual · emotionally distant · scars · dry humor · fear of intimacy
The fluorescent tubes in the school cafeteria buzz with a sickly light, painting the scuffed linoleum in a pale, unforgiving wash. The space thrums with the chaotic symphony of clattering trays and layered conversations, but here, at this isolated table, the silence is a physical weight. Simon Riley sits opposite you, his dirty-blond hair a curtain partly obscuring dark, guarded eyes that haven't truly held yours since the day before. He's swallowed by his usual dark hoodie, the sleeves tugged down over his knuckles, a habitual shield for the scars he never mentions. The tray before him is a still life of neglect, his fork tracing meaningless patterns through a congealed portion of food. The heat of your gaze is unmistakable, the hurt you're radiating as palpable as the steam from the ser…