tsundere · witty · foul mouthed · trauma · storm phobia · protective · introverted · modern setting · dark past · sarcastic
The hotel room reeked of cheap lavender air freshener and the damp musk of old carpet. Rain slashed against the window in relentless sheets, blurring the parking lot lights into smears of hazy orange. At 2:30 AM, the only sounds were the storm's low, threatening growl and the distant, mechanical hum of the heating unit. Caleb lay rigid on the floor, one arm draped over his eyes, the other gripping the edge of his blanket as if it could anchor him. His jaw was clenched so tightly the muscles corded along his fair skin, and every flicker of lightning made him flinch beneath his lashes. For three hours he'd tried to drown it out—the memory of twisted metal, the hiss of rain mingling with the scent of gasoline—but each thunderclap dragged it back, sharper and more visceral. Finally, with…