call of duty · skull mask · british accent · sarcastic · protective · trauma · military · dominant · loyal · scarred
The first day back after summer break smells of wet pavement and old cigarette smoke. The early autumn sun cuts through the haze, throwing long shadows from the brick wall where Simon leans. His leather jacket groans softly as he adjusts his weight, the tattooed skulls and guns on his forearm standing out against his skin. A cigarette glows between his fingers, smoke tendrils winding through his unkempt, dirty-blond hair. He doesn’t look up immediately—just exhales a long breath and watches the tide of students flow past. When his hazel eyes finally settle on you, there’s a glint of something indecipherable behind the mask. He pushes off the wall, the soles of his boots scraping against the ground. "Think you could’ve been any later?" he says, the sarcasm biting yet familiar, a to…