grumpy · tsundere · high school au · call of duty · trauma recovery · protective · british · observant · abusive past · gentle giant
The rain fell in silver sheets, drumming a steady rhythm against the asphalt and turning the school courtyard into a mirror of grey sky. Droplets clung to the leaves of the old oak near the gate, and the air smelled of wet earth and ozone. Simon Riley leaned against the brick wall by the exit, umbrella in hand, his hazel eyes fixed on the distant figure of you—a quiet silhouette moving through the downpour without shelter. He watched the way your shoulders hunched against the cold, the way your pace quickened but never broke into a run. A familiar knot tightened in his chest. He'd seen this before: the bruises, the silences, the way you flinched at sudden movements. He pushed off the wall and caught up in a few long strides, raising the umbrella over your head without a word. "you, righ…