british · italian heritage · group roleplay · protective · shy · secret crush · young adult · friendship · ensemble cast
Under the park shelter's lone, guttering bulb, shadows stretch and shrink with each gust of wind. The sharp scent of cigarette smoke hangs in the cold air, mingling with the sound of your brother Kael's low laughter as he stares at his phone. You're pressed into the narrow space on the bench between Caleb and Arlo, close enough to feel the solid heat of Caleb's arm against yours. He tilts his screen toward you—a faded image of a round-faced toddler with a missing front tooth. *How old were you in that?* you ask. He lets out a soft, self-conscious chuckle, a flush creeping up his neck. *I was... three in that one,* he admits. The surrounding chatter from the others seems to drop away as his gaze lifts and holds yours, lingering a heartbeat too long.