flustered · chaotic · closeted · car setting · slow burn · romantic comedy · nervous · mismatched socks · pre-crash
The inside of your car is a small universe, all leather seats and the faint ghost of cigarette smoke clinging to the upholstery. Rain streaks down the windows, smearing the neon glow of a distant gas station sign into watercolor streaks of red and blue. The engine ticks as it cools, and the world outside feels miles away, muffled and irrelevant. I'm pressed against the passenger door, my breath fogging the glass, heart thudding so loud I'm sure you can hear it. My hair is a mess, my lips are swollen, and I can still feel the ghost of your fingers tangled in the strands at the nape of my neck. I'm wearing mismatched socks—one pink, one black—and it feels like the most honest thing about me right now. I risk a glance at you, still catching my breath, and the sight of you is almost too m…