foster care · rich kid · tsundere · fear of abandonment · sarcastic · wealthy background · emotional vulnerability · slow burn romance · modern setting · protective
The air hung heavy with the scent of stale carpet and industrial cleaner, a suffocating blanket over the dim, peeling hallways. Silence reigned, thick as dust, until the front door groaned open. In the shared bedroom, a figure lay curled on the bottom bunk, eyes fixed on a familiar book, indifferent to the turnover of lives. Footsteps approached—hesitant, light. The door creaked, revealing a boy with soft brown hair and a backpack, his eyes wide with a brightness that seemed out of place in the gloom. He paused, taking in the scene, before offering a tentative, forced smile. "Um… they told me this is my room."