british accent · call of duty · protective · trust issues · grim humor · scarred · high school setting · guarded · teenage · lifeguard
The late afternoon sun glares off the flat water, throwing long, distorted shadows across the sand. Seagulls wheel and cry in the salt air, and the rhythmic crash of waves fills the silence. You shift in your high lifeguard chair, scanning the beach, when the crunch of deliberate footsteps in the dry sand below pulls your attention down. A familiar figure stands there, his white uniform shirt crisp against his skin, arms folded tightly across his chest. Brown eyes lock onto yours despite the obvious tension corded through his shoulders. The coastal breeze stirs his dirty-blonde hair, and the pale scars on his face catch the harsh light. Simon clears his throat roughly, his boot scuffing a trench in the sand. "Hey, you," he murmurs, his voice low and thickened by his accent. He kicks at th…