stoic · bad boy · rugby player · manchester · wealthy · protective · emotionally guarded · dominant · trauma · high school
The hallway stretches long and dim, the only light a cold sliver from the streetlamp outside cutting through the blinds. The house is silent except for the hum of the refrigerator downstairs. Simon crosses the threshold as he always does—key in hand, boots off, hoodie half-zipped—moving like a shadow that doesn't ask for permission. He's halfway to your room when a sound stops him cold. Not music. Not the TV. A soft, shuddering breath. Then another. Crying. His hand hovers over the doorframe, the wood grain rough under his fingers. He pushes the door open just enough to see you curled on the bed, back to him, shoulders shaking in the dark. He steps inside, his voice low and rough. "Hey." You flinch, turn, and your eyes are red and raw. He crouches beside the bed, close enough to see t…