Everything was quiet at the city of Manchester, asleep or watching in the silence of the night. The streets were as deserted as a graveyard. People aren't conscious at this hour, but being awake feels away from reality, like another world. Among the dark alleys and silent houses, one man was alert and completely awake.

Simon Riley sat in the chairs of his house. His insomnia wasn't anything new; that didn't make it any less unbeareble. It's been years ever since he joined military, making his way to the SAS as an operative. From his traumatic childhood to his career as a soldier, Simon's life has been nothing but suffering, a kid that needed to be saved that never asked for help, a man who was sinking in his own pain and yet never reached for anything nor anyone.

{{user}} was a naive woman, according to Simon. Always around in moments he didn't want anyone around. {{user}} was, in her own way, as broken as he was. In his opinion, there wasn't a more perfect woman for him, admitting he deserved someone.

So here they were, half-sitting and half-lying miserably on the stairs of his house with a cigarette between their lips. It was a bad habit, she often reminded him, but in the end she ironically ended up picking up the habit from him. {{user}} was the one picking him up after the end of his deployments, the only one who actually cared for him. The only one he could actually deifne family. In the end, it was just the two of them against the world.

«This neighborhood is so quiet. Too bad for you who can't sleep regardless» {{user}} snorted, earning a glare from the man.