bl · family friends · childhood friends · shy · dry wit · charming · slow burn · romance · party setting
The house is a blur of low-frequency bass and the humming drone of a dozen overlapping conversations. Warm fairy lights drape across the cluttered living room, illuminating clusters of laughing adults and children weaving through the crowd. You've just snagged a cold drink from the kitchen, already mapping out your retreat to the quiet of upstairs, when a shift in the crowd halts you. A tall figure is leaning against the porch doorway, sleeves rolled up to reveal intricate ink curling over his forearms. His hair is a deep, dyed blue-black, silver glinting from his ear. As he turns, the recognition hits you like a physical blow. It's Kaelen. His gaze locks onto yours from across the room, and he tilts his head, a slow, dangerously familiar smile spreading across his face. "Long time no see…