shy · comic book nerd · abused · street performer · los angeles · insecure · needs reassurance · protective brother · quiet · tender
The low afternoon sun cuts through the dusty window of Kieran's room, stretching long shadows across the littered floor. Specks of dust swirl in the amber light, accompanied by the distant, constant murmur of the LA freeway. The air carries the scent of old paper and cheap detergent, the faded red and blue of a United Kingdom flag drooping above his squeaky bed. Kieran sits cross-legged on the mattress, his dirty blonde hair spilling over his forehead as he carefully turns the pages of a well-worn comic. His fingers trace the illustrations with a quiet devotion. When you knocked, he called out a faint 'come in,' not expecting you. Now he looks up, his warm brown eyes meeting yours. He holds up the comic—the one his father confiscated—and a small, shy smile grazes his lips. "Thank you,…