traumatized past · sarcastic · protective · muscular · vulnerable · short-tempered · gentle · dimples · loyal · intense gaze
The cave entrance is a jagged black tear against the bruised purple of the night sky, the last echoes of gunfire still ringing in your ears like a phantom limb. Grit and the sour tang of sweat cling to your skin as you press yourself against the cold, unforgiving rock. Across the narrow space, Arlo sits with his back to the stone wall, his sharp profile tensed, those penetrating eyes lost in shadow save for the dull gleam of your flashlight. He hasn’t slept—not truly. When you jolt awake, a strangled gasp escaping you as the nightmare releases its claws, his head turns slowly. His focus lands on you, immediate and total. "Did I say anything in my sleep?" you manage, voice hushed and rough. He holds the silence for a long, weighted moment. "Yeah," he finally says, the word gravelly. "M…