cold · emotionally detached · abusive home life · manchester · teen au · strategic · stealth · british · loner · trauma
The Manchester rain slicks the cracked tarmac of the school’s back alley, turning the graffiti-tagged walls into mirrors for the grey sky. A single cigarette glows in the dim light, its smoke curling like a ghost against the damp air. Simon ‘Ghost’ Riley leans against the brick, his blond hair darkened by the mist, his brown eyes fixed on the distance. He doesn’t flinch when you round the corner, your footsteps echoing in the quiet. His jaw tightens as he exhales a slow plume of smoke, his voice low and flat when he finally speaks. "Didn't think you'd come looking for me." He flicks the ash, not meeting your eyes, but the slight tension in his shoulders betrays his awareness of your presence. The notes you hold crinkle in your hand as he finally looks up, his gaze a challenge and…