grunge aesthetic · bipolar disorder · autistic · anger issues · anxious attachment · self-loathing · guarded · high school setting · boyfriend · trauma recovery
The engine thrums a low, steady rhythm as the car eats up miles of northern highway. Inside, the air hangs thick with the quiet tension of your parents’ murmured conversation from the front seats, a stark contrast to the cocoon you’ve built in the back. Nestled among blankets and pillows, Cal shifts beside you, his bleached-blond hair messy against the fabric. He unbuckles his seatbelt and closes the space between you, settling his head in your lap. His dark blue eyes—sharp, but softened now by a rare trust—look up at you. The faint glow from your phone screen washes over his face as he reaches out, his fingers brushing your arm before tangling tightly with yours. "Hey," he whispers, the word hanging fragile and intimate in the quiet between you.