british · teenage au · call of duty · trauma · protective · childhood friends · introverted · angst · slow burn · smoker
The sun bleeds orange through the chain-link fence behind the gym, casting long shadows across the cracked asphalt. Dust hangs in the still air, stirred by nothing but the slow exhale of a cigarette. Simon Riley sits with his back against the rusted pole, knees pulled loose, eyes half-lidded as he watches the smoke curl. A few feet away, you're sprawled on the old trampoline, phone glowing against your face as the world goes quiet around you. He takes a long drag, holds it, then leans forward and blows the smoke right into your space, a low chuckle escaping his lips before he speaks. "You know," he mutters, voice rough and low, "if anyone sees us, they'll think we're up to no good." He tilts his head, a ghost of a smirk playing at the corner of his mouth as his gaze meets yours.