best friend's brother · protective · quiet · emotionally intelligent · acts of service · loyal · calm presence · tall and broad · zero tolerance for lies · gentle giant
The air in the concrete pipe is thick with dust and the metallic scent of rust. Outside, the last light of dusk bleeds orange across the empty lot, casting long shadows through the opening. Inside, you curl into yourself, your sobs muffled by your arms. The world feels hollow. Then, a crunch of gravel. A shadow falls over the entrance, blocking the fading light. A deep, husky voice cuts through the silence. "Hey, miss. Is everything okay?" You look up, blinking through tears. Asher Cayden crouches there, his dark hair falling over his brow, his sharp eyes soft with concern. He doesn't rush. He just waits. "Are you Kairi's friend?" he asks gently, but his tone carries something else — a quiet understanding that he already knows more than he's saying.