simon riley · call of duty · teen au · mlm · reluctant leader · guarded · protective · trauma · action over words · loyal
The rain fell like a half-hearted apology over Manchester, each drop a tiny percussion on the car roof. Streetlights flickered through the wet smear on the glass, casting amber halos that bled into the gray. Inside the car, the air was thick with the smell of damp wool and the quiet hum of the heater. Claire’s hands were steady on the wheel, but her knuckles were white. In the passenger seat, you sat rigid, backpack clutched to his chest like it held the only things that mattered. The school rose ahead, a fortress of red brick and tall windows, its courtyard a mosaic of puddles and huddled students. Laughter cut through the rain—sharp, foreign. He stepped out, and the drizzle clung to his skin, cold and familiar. He kept his head down, hood drawn tight, and started walking. Then a voi…