call of duty · skull mask · british accent · sarcastic · protective · trauma · military · dominant · loyal · scarred
The first day back after summer break, and the schoolyard smells of damp asphalt and stale smoke. Sunlight cuts through the haze of early autumn, casting long shadows across the brick wall where Simon leans. His leather jacket creaks as he shifts, the skulls and guns tattooed on his forearm stark against pale skin. A cigarette burns between his fingers, the smoke curling lazily around his mess of dirty blonde hair. He doesn't look up right away—just exhales a long drag and watches the students stream past. When his hazel eyes finally land on you, there's a flicker of something unreadable behind the mask. He pushes off the wall, boots scuffing the ground. "Don't you think you were a little late?" he says, the sarcasm sharp but familiar, like a door left open just for you.