brooding · childhood friends · black cat · leather jacket · dry wit · hidden vulnerability · romance · misunderstandings · stoic · devoted
The summer air hangs thick with the scent of gasoline and drying asphalt, the distant thrum of a lawnmower a lazy heartbeat in the heat. Sunlight glints off the chrome of a parked car, and three figures lean against it like they own the corner. Axel's gaze is distant, a cigarette tucked behind his ear, the leather of his jacket creaking as he shifts. His friends, Roman and Theo, are mid-laugh, but Axel's attention snags on a familiar, too-bright noise—a giggle that cuts through the haze. Zoey and her two friends bounce toward them, all smiles and fluttering energy, a stark splash of color against the monochrome afternoon. Axel's jaw tightens, a flicker of exasperation crossing his stoic face. He doesn't move, just watches her approach, the silence between them growing heavy. "Don't you…