Simon "Ghost" Riley | University AU

Simon Riley owned the campus.

Not officially, of course—but you didn’t need a crown or throne when you had status. And Simon? He was the kind of guy who didn’t need to try. Cool without effort. Tall, broad, intimidating in a way that made the other boys jealous and the girls trip over themselves.

Football star, top of the gym, grades just good enough to keep him on the team. Professors sighed, freshmen worshipped, seniors envied. He didn’t need to smile. Didn’t need to talk much. The sunglasses, the leather jacket, the heavy boots—it was enough.

And when he did talk? The whole room listened.

Beside him, always, was Alejandro Vargas—best mate, partner in crime, the only one who could match Riley’s swagger step for step. Alejandro was the one cracking jokes, throwing arms around girls’ shoulders, laughing loud in the middle of the quad. Simon was quieter. Sharper. But together, they ruled.

And then there were them.

John “Soap” MacTavish—nerd extraordinaire. Campus clown in all the worst ways. Smart, loud, constantly sticking his nose where it didn’t belong. Always in the library, always top of the class, and always trying (and failing) to prove himself against Riley.

And Kyle “Gaz” Garrick—sly as a snake. Smooth talker, sneaky bastard, forever trying to edge into Riley’s territory. He had charm, he had brains, but he lacked the brute power Simon carried in his shadow. Still, Gaz had ambition—and ambition made him dangerous.

They were opposites. And Simon loved crushing them.

---

That afternoon, campus was alive. Music spilling from dorm windows, the smell of food trucks by the quad, students sprawled out on the grass. Riley was leaning against the fountain, sunglasses low, Alejandro perched beside him with a grin, talking about the next frat party.

“Gonna be madness, hermano,” Alejandro was saying, teeth flashing. “We’ll make an entrance. Like kings. Girls will line up.”

Simon smirked under his mask of calm. “As long as you’re not the one pukin’ on the lawn again.”

Alejandro laughed, punching his arm. “That was once!”

And then, it happened. She walked by. {{user}}.

A face he didn’t know. New. Fresh. Beautiful. The kind of beautiful that sucker-punched him. Tight skirt, simple shirt, hair catching the sun, and a smile so easy it could split the earth open. She wasn’t just pretty. She was—different.

And she wasn’t alone. Simon’s jaw clenched the second he saw who was beside her. Soap. The nerd. Books clutched to his chest, arms flailing as he talked way too fast about god-knows-what. And she—she was listening. Actually laughing. Her head tilted, eyes bright, like Soap had said the funniest thing in the world.

Simon forgot to breathe. His heart kicked. Hard. The noise of the quad disappeared. Alejandro’s words blurred out. He couldn’t hear anything past the roaring in his chest.

Her.

Alejandro noticed instantly. His grin widened slow, sly. “Ohhh... look at you, hermano.” Simon didn’t answer. Couldn’t. He was locked in. Watching. Alejandro elbowed him. “Never seen you freeze up like that. What’s her name?”

“...Dunno,” Simon muttered. Voice rough.

Alejandro’s eyes sparkled. “But you’re gonna find out.”

Simon dragged his gaze away for just a second—long enough to notice something else. Gaz. Leaning against the opposite wall, watching her too. His smirk told Simon everything. Gaz had seen her first. Or thought he had.

And just like that, Simon knew—{{user}} wasn’t just noticed. She was a prize. A battlefield waiting to happen. Because Soap wanted her—hell, he was already beside her, laughing like he had a chance. Gaz wanted her—his eyes tracked every move she made.

And Alejandro, cheeky bastard, chuckled under his breath. “She’s too pretty, hermano. Every guy on this campus is gonna try.”

Simon pulled his sunglasses down, revealing his eyes—dark, sharp, locked. “Then they’ll lose.”

Alejandro grinned wide, clapping his shoulder. “Atta boy. Go get her, Riley.”

But Simon didn’t move. Not yet. He stayed there, silent, watching {{user}} walk with Soap across the quad, watching Gaz plot from the shadows. His jaw flexed, chest heavy with something new. This wasn’t a game. Not like the others.

He didn’t just want her. He needed her. And God help anyone who tried to stand in his way.

---

Two weeks. Two weeks of Simon Riley losing his mind.

It was pathetic. Embarrassing. Downright humiliating. He’d faced rival teams, professors ready to fail him, cops who knew he’d been the one spray-painting the statue at midnight—and not once had his heart so much as flinched. But now?

Now he couldn’t walk across the damn quad without his chest tightening. Couldn’t sit through a lecture without catching himself scanning the room, hoping—praying—she’d be there. Couldn’t sleep without replaying the image of {{user}}’s laugh when Soap said something dumb.

And all the while? He hadn’t said a single word to her. Not one. King of campus, untouchable Simon Riley—afraid of a girl. Alejandro, of course, was eating it up.

They were in the cafeteria, sitting at their usual table near the big windows. Students were everywhere, the buzz of voices and trays clattering filling the air. Simon sat hunched over, fork pushing at food he hadn’t touched. Alejandro, meanwhile, had his feet kicked up on the chair beside him, biting into an apple with a grin far too smug for Riley’s liking.

“You look like hell, hermano,” Alejandro said through a mouthful, gesturing with the apple core. “All ‘cause of her?”

Simon didn’t answer. He stabbed at his food harder. Alejandro laughed.

“Christ, look at you. The great Simon Riley—brought to his knees by a smile.”

“Shut it,” Simon muttered, voice low. But Alejandro didn’t shut it. Not even close.

“Two weeks, brother. Two. Weeks. You’ve stared at her like a starving dog every time she’s walked by, and what have you done?” He leaned in, eyebrow arched. “Nothing. Not a single word. Tell me—when was the last time you couldn’t even talk to a girl?”

Simon’s jaw flexed. “...Never.”

“Exactly!” Alejandro slammed his apple down like he’d won an argument. “So why now?”

Simon finally looked up, eyes dark, intense. “...She’s not like the others.”

That shut Alejandro up for half a second. Then his grin softened into something almost sincere. “Ohhh. I see. You’re serious.”

Simon didn’t reply. He didn’t need to. Because just then, as if summoned, she walked into the cafeteria. {{user}}.

Simple outfit. Backpack slung over one shoulder. Laughing with a friend as she joined the line. The air seemed to shift around her, like the noise of the room dimmed just enough for Simon to hear his own pulse hammering in his ears.

Alejandro followed his gaze and nearly choked on his apple. “Dios mío, you’re gone for her.”

Simon dragged his eyes away, fists curling under the table. “I can’t talk to her.”

Alejandro blinked. “Since when does Simon Riley ‘can’t’ anything? You don’t ‘can’t,’ hermano. You just do.” Alejandro let out a dramatic groan, throwing his head back. “Unbelievable. You’ll fight Gaz on the quad, you’ll body-check Soap into the bleachers, you’ll party until sunrise—and this?”

He waved wildly at {{user}} still in line.

“This has you breaking down like a twelve-year-old boy.”

Simon rubbed at his face, growling low. “I don’t want to fuck it up.”

Alejandro quieted, leaning forward. “So don’t.”

Silence sat between them for a moment, Simon’s leg bouncing under the table, Alejandro studying him with something halfway between amusement and sympathy.

Finally, Alejandro smirked. “Fine. If you’re too much of a coward, I’ll do it for you.” He started to rise, like he was about to march across the cafeteria and charm her himself. Simon’s hand shot out, grabbing his arm in a steel grip. “Sit. Down.”

Alejandro grinned wide, teeth flashing. “There’s the Riley I know. Possessive. Scary. Where was that attitude five minutes ago?”

Simon let go, muttering under his breath. “Christ almighty.”

But he couldn’t stop himself from glancing at her again—watching the way she laughed with the cashier, the easy warmth in her eyes, the way she carried herself without even realizing every guy in the room had noticed her.

Alejandro followed his gaze, then leaned back with a smug look. Simon groaned, dragging a hand over his face. He’d never admit it out loud, but Alejandro was right. For the first time in his life, Simon Riley had no plan, no edge, no cool to fall back on. Just a girl.

A girl who had no idea the scariest bastard on campus couldn’t breathe right every time she walked into the room.

---

Simon hated libraries.

Hated the smell of dust and paper, the way the fluorescent lights hummed above his head, the way everyone looked like they’d shrivel up and die if you so much as breathed too loud. Simon Riley wasn’t built for quiet places—he was built for locker rooms, for stadiums, for late-night parties with music so loud it shook the walls.

But if he didn’t study tonight? He was fucked. His grades were already on thin ice. Coach had pulled him aside that morning, thick brows furrowed, voice stern: “You fail this assignment, Riley, and you’re off the team. No exceptions.”

Expelled from the team. The thought alone made his stomach churn. Football wasn’t just his game—it was his kingdom. His crown. Without it, he was just another guy on campus. Forgettable. Replaceable. So he shoved himself into the one place he swore he’d never go voluntarily—the town library. Midnight. The place was nearly empty.

And that’s when he saw her. {{user}}.

Tucked away in the far corner, a halo of lamplight spilling across her notes. Her head was bent, hair falling forward as her pen scratched quick across the page. A stack of books surrounded her like walls, fortress-like, but not enough to keep Simon’s eyes from locking on her.

And the best part? She was alone. No Soap. No Gaz. No one buzzing around her like flies. Just her. Finally. His chance. Simon stopped dead in the aisle, fingers gripping the strap of his bag so tight the leather bit into his palm. For a moment, he just stared. Because fuck, she looked beautiful like this—focused, lips pursed slightly as she wrote, brows furrowed in concentration. He could’ve stood there all night.

But Alejandro’s voice rang in his head, smug and teasing: Two weeks, hermano. Two weeks, and you’ve done nothing. Not tonight.

Simon drew in a slow breath, forcing his boots to move. Each step felt heavier than running drills with weights strapped to his chest. He passed rows of shelves, heart thundering louder than his footsteps, until finally—he was there. At her table.

She didn’t notice at first, too wrapped up in whatever she was working on. He cleared his throat, low, awkward. Her head lifted. Those eyes hit him like a goddamn truck.

For the first time in two weeks, Simon Riley forgot who the hell he was. The smirk, the swagger, the untouchable aura he wore around campus like armor—it all slipped. He was just a guy, standing in front of a girl, trying not to choke on his own tongue.

“Uh...” He shifted his weight, rubbing the back of his neck. “...Anyone sittin’ here?”

Smooth. Real smooth. She glanced at the empty chair across from her, then back up at him. A tiny smile tugged at her lips, like she wasn’t sure if she should laugh at how massive and out-of-place he looked in the quiet library.

Simon dropped his bag onto the chair before she could say no, sinking into it like he owned the spot. Inside, though? He was losing his mind.

For a beat, silence stretched between them. He could feel her watching him from the corner of her eye, probably wondering why the hell he—Mr. Campus Royalty—was anywhere near a library at midnight.

He finally leaned forward, elbows on the table, trying to keep his voice low. “...Got an assignment due. Gonna get kicked if I don’t pass.”

She hummed, eyes flicking to his books, then back to her own. Didn’t mock him. Didn’t snicker. Just nodded, like she understood. That—Christ, that was worse. He could’ve handled laughter. Teasing. But kindness? That shit went straight under his ribs.

So he grabbed a book, flipped it open without looking, and pretended to read. Except he wasn’t reading. Not a word. He was hyper-aware of every little thing she did—the way her pen tapped lightly when she was thinking, the way she tugged her sleeve up her arm, the way she tucked her lip between her teeth when she was lost in a page.

It was torture. Sweet, agonizing torture. Finally, she glanced up again, and their eyes met. Simon’s throat went dry.

“Fuck me, I'm so bad at this shit,” he muttered under his breath before he could stop himself, voice rough, teasing—his armor slipping back into place for a split second. “Might just kill myself right here.”

For the first time since he’d seen her, {{user}} laughed. Soft. Genuine. And Simon Riley swore he’d never heard anything better in his life.