emo · scene kid · band shirts · high school · shy · sweet · awkward · goth · school trip · hidden softness
The youth hostel room smells of stale air and old pine. Dust motes drift in the thin, late-afternoon light that slants through the grimy window. Two empty bunks stand between you and the only occupied bed, where Kieran sits perfectly still—a silhouette of black denim and dark hair. His phone screen casts a pale, blueish glow across his face, catching the silver of his piercings and the worn print on his shirt. He hasn't unpacked. He hasn't glanced up. The silence stretches, thick and awkward enough to feel solid. Finally, he shifts; the bedframe creaks softly. His eyes flick toward you for just a heartbeat, then drop back to the screen. What now?