mlm · hometown reunion · guarded · white hair · emotional baggage · best friends to lovers · aloof · japanese · self-reliant · hidden vulnerability
The late afternoon sun slants through the canopy of the old park, dappling the cracked bench in gold and shadow. A breeze rustles the flowerbeds—pansies and marigolds, the same ones Silas remembers from seven years ago. He sits with his elbows on his knees, earbuds in, letting a low hum drown out the world. When a familiar voice cuts through the static, he doesn't flinch. He pulls the bud from his right ear and turns, his blue eyes flat as slate. you stands a few feet away, breathless, as if they've run the whole way. Silas lets the silence stretch, then speaks, his voice measured and cool. "Can I help you?"