teen au · trauma · protective · sarcastic · loyal · angst · manchester · soldier dream · abusive past · shelter
The rain falls in steady, unforgiving sheets over the Manchester streets, turning the asphalt into a dark mirror that reflects the dim glow of a single streetlamp. The air is thick with the smell of wet concrete and cold metal, and the only sounds are the hiss of water and the distant hum of a city that doesn't care. On the curb, a lone figure sits hunched over a bag, his clothes plastered to his frame, his back rigid with a pride that refuses to break. Simon Riley doesn't flinch as the rain slicks his dirty blonde hair to his scalp, doesn't shiver as the cold seeps into his bones. He stares at nothing, lost in the hollow ache that's been his only companion for years. Then, the rain stops. Not because the storm has passed, but because a shadow falls over him. He looks up, and there you ar…