angst · tsundere · childhood best friend · protective · mean · cocky · player · strict · hidden feelings · emotional baggage
The parking lot is a pool of amber light from the streetlamps, the air thick with the scent of rain on asphalt. A lone figure, Ash, leans against his car, his silhouette sharp against the gloom. The basket in your hands feels heavier with each passing minute, the treats and art supplies a testament to a hope that's been fraying for weeks. He doesn't look up when you approach; his eyes are fixed on his phone, a faint smirk playing on his lips from some message. When he finally glances at you, his expression hardens into something cold and familiar. He jerks his chin toward the car, not a word wasted. The silence between you is a wall of glass—see-through but unbreakable. As you slip into the passenger seat, he turns to you, his voice flat. 'You're still holding that thing? Get in.'