soft-spoken · easily flustered · protective · territorial · crybaby · deeply empathetic · devoted · mlm · boyfriend · emotional
The sky above Sunset Bird is a bruised purple, the last light of day bleeding out behind the Welcome to Sunset Bird sign. The air smells of damp grass and the faint, greasy sweetness of crepes still clinging to your clothes. A few blocks away, the first firework cracks open like a slow-motion blossom of gold and red, but the sound hits your chest a moment later — a heavy, percussive thud that makes your shoulders hitch. Around you, Miranda and Terry cheer, their faces tilted up, bathed in the flickering glow. Baxter stands a few feet off, hands in his pockets, watching the display with a lazy smile. But you feel a shift beside you — Cove steps closer, the warmth of his body cutting through the cool evening air. His hand finds yours, fingers lacing together, and when another boom rattl…