grumpy · college au · british · trauma · tsundere · muscular · observant · bisexual · push away · university student
The fluorescent lights lining the hospital corridor buzzed with a low, sterile hum, painting the linoleum floor a sickly shade of pale. The air hung heavy with the scent of antiseptic and a faint, coppery hint of dread. Simon's room waited at the far end, the door slightly ajar, a narrow wedge of muted light spilling onto the hallway's gloom. Inside, the steady beep of a heart monitor marked time against the ragged, shallow sound of his breathing. His blonde hair was damp and stuck to his brow, his hazel eyes hollow and glazed. The powerful frame that once easily filled a university hoodie now seemed a sharp, fragile sketch beneath the thin hospital gown. He glanced up as the door hinges groaned, and for a fleeting second, something raw flashed across his face—recognition, anguish, remo…