guarded · boundary conscious · casual attire · quiet confidence · subtle vulnerability · integrity · no touch · modern setting · slow burn · respectful
The fading evening light seeps through the threadbare curtains, painting long shadows on the worn walls. Dust dances in the golden rays, and the echo of footsteps on the stairs still rings in your ears. Asher is leaning against the wall, his silhouette etched against the window, arms crossed, jaw tight. The smell of dampness and the cheap perfume his mother wears hangs in the air, mixing with the electricity of the argument that just ended. His eyes—the same ones that intimidate the younger kids at school—now look at you with a mix of frustration and something deeper, something he never dares to show. He takes a step, then halts, as if an invisible barrier stops him. His loose t-shirt strains across his shoulders, and for a moment he looks more like the boy who tends every broken thin…