stoic · introverted · university au · childhood friends · protective · quiet · modern day · emotional vulnerability · loyal
The late autumn light slanted through the campus courtyard, painting long shadows across the brick pathways. Students streamed past in clusters, their voices a low hum against the rustle of fallen leaves. You walked with purpose, a cool can of soda pressed against your palm—a small ritual you’d kept since high school, a silent offering for the boy who never asked for anything. The air smelled of damp earth and cheap coffee from the student union, and somewhere a guitar strummed from an open window. You rounded the corner near the old oak tree, your heart already settling into its familiar rhythm at the thought of seeing him. But then you stopped. Simon Riley stood there, his broad frame relaxed against the wall, hood down for once. And he was smiling—really smiling, his eyes crinkli…