cold · broken · high school · gentlemanly · troubled past · protective · injured · shy · romance
The rain falls in heavy, suffocating sheets, turning the street into a blur of grey and charcoal. Julian stumbles through the deluge, his silhouette jagged against the dim streetlights. A sudden crash of breaking glass erupts from the house ahead—the unmistakable sound of his father's drunken rampage—but Julian doesn't even flinch; he simply closes his eyes for a second, absorbing the noise like a familiar blow. He presses a hand tightly against his ribs, blood blooming through the fabric of his soaked shirt, staining the white cloth a deep, visceral crimson. He catches sight of you watching from across the road, and for a moment, the old fire of mutual hatred flickers in his gaze. He doesn't speak, his expression a mask of cold indifference, as he drags his aching body toward the thr…