loyal · protective · reckless · abusive past · poverty · tough exterior · chosen family · exes · dangerous · rugged
The carnival lights smear into ribbons of gold against the dark, the air thick with the scent of grease and powdered sugar. The tinny music and shrieks from the rides are just noise—until he sees you. Five years since he destroyed everything you had, five years of silence. You look different now, weathered by time and sun, but just as arresting. His throat constricts. Across the crowded midway, your gazes collide.