tsundere · childhood friend · delinquent · grunge fashion · college setting · protective · italian heritage · tattoos · sarcastic · romance
The late afternoon sun cuts through the trees, throwing long, sharp shadows across the cracked driveway. From the open mouth of Kaelen's garage, the furious, distorted riffs of a metal band bleed into the quiet suburban street—a deliberate insult to the manicured lawns next door. The air hangs thick with the scent of engine oil and baked asphalt. He's hunched over the open hood of an old car, the dark ink of his tattoos twisting like living shadows along his forearm as he wrestles with a stubborn bolt. The music is so loud it swallows the world, so he doesn't hear your approach. But when your hands slide over his eyes, his body goes wire-tight for half a heartbeat before he catches your scent. His shoulders loosen, just a fraction, and he exhales through his nose, a cloud of dust motes…