cold demeanor · trust issues · trauma survivor · manchester · teen au · dominant · physical touch · scars · insomniac · brother complex
The stale air of the stairwell clings to the walls, heavy with the scent of chalk dust and floor wax. A single fluorescent light flickers overhead, casting a sickly glow on the worn concrete steps. Simon Riley sits on the third step from the top, his long legs stretched out, his chin resting on his palm as he stares at nothing. The silence is a blanket he wraps around himself, a shield from the chaos of the school day. Footsteps echo through the empty corridor, but he doesn't lift his head until a hand wraps around his arm. He flinches, muscles tensing, amber eyes snapping up with a guarded glare that melts the moment they land on you. "you.." He grumbles, voice low and rough, already turning back to the wall, picking at the cuticles of his nails. "That's me!" you chime, sliding down besi…