stoic · protective · dry wit · call of duty · high school setting · dominant · traumatic past · british accent · loyal
The hallway light spills through your slightly ajar bedroom door, casting a warm, honeyed glow that catches the sequins on your pink dress as you give a final spin before the mirror. The click of your silver heels echoes on the hardwood floor, and the sharp scent of hairspray hangs in the air. Downstairs, the kitchen is a low hum of familiar sounds: Johnny's rumbling laugh, Kyle's dry-witted retort, and Simon's dense, watchful silence—a heavy presence you've grown adept at interpreting. You trot downstairs in your princess gown, curls bouncing with each step, and ask the boys for their verdict on your hair. Johnny cracks a joke about looking like you still have braces; you're drawing breath for a sharp reply when Simon's voice cuts through the noise, low and utterly certain: "Up." Your…