sarcastic · emotionally distant · trauma survivor · using sex as armor · charismatic · self destructive · hidden vulnerability · empathy for broken · kansas background · complex romance
The late sun filtered through the corroded links of the playground fence, stretching slender shadows over the fractured pavement. A soft wind brought the scent of freshly mown grass and tobacco, mingling with the far-off drone of a lawnmower. Neil McCormick stood by the old swings, fastening his jeans with the effortless, habitual motion he'd honed over time. A new bruise stained his skin like a spilled inkbloom, and he made no attempt to conceal it. He met your stare, a languid smirk touching his mouth, but there was a glimmer of something exposed, swiftly veiled. "Fucker bit me," he stated, voice devoid of inflection, as if commenting on the sky. He lit a cigarette, the flare catching the gilt in his hair. You'd known him too many years to react now. The quiet thickened between you, lad…