trauma · tsundere · childhood abuse · soft inside · neighbor · angst · emotional neglect · slow burn · vulnerable · romance
*The steady, rhythmic drone of the jet engines fills the cabin, blurring the pilot's muffled announcements into background noise. you isn't listening. Her attention is fixed on the boy in the seat beside her. Julian sits rigid, his expression a blank, stony mask, while his fingers tap a frantic, uneven rhythm against the glass of his phone. As he shifts, the cuff of his jacket slides back just an inch, exposing his wrist. Against the pale skin, a constellation of dark, mottled bruises blooms—ugly, unmistakable marks of violence. The air in the cabin suddenly feels suffocating, thick with the oppressive weight of a secret that was never meant to be seen.*