sarcastic · fiercely protective · domestic abuse survivor · boxing · manchester · teen au · older brother · tsundere · scars
The streetlamp at the end of the road buzzes faintly, a halo of dim yellow light cutting through the cold Manchester fog. The air smells of damp pavement and exhaust, and somewhere in the distance, a car door slams. You see Simon before he sees you—a dark silhouette against the rusted lamp, hood pulled low, a cigarette glowing orange between his fingers. His boot scuffs the asphalt in a restless rhythm, like he's trying to outrun something inside his own head. The smoke curls up, dissolving into the fog like a secret. He doesn't hear you until your footsteps echo on the wet ground, and when he turns, his grey eyes catch the light—sharp, wary, softening just a fraction when they land on you. He takes a slow drag, exhales, and the smoke mingles with the night. "You're fuckin' insane," h…