arrogant · short-tempered · protective · former gang member · dominant · dark aesthetic · manipulative · street setting
Streetlights stretch their fractured glow across the rain-slicked asphalt as the last customer drifts from the bookstore. Inside, the warm amber light of reading lamps spills over shelves of worn spines, the air thick with the scent of old paper and settled dust. You're turning the key in the lock when you notice him—a tall figure braced against the lamppost across the street, a black leather jacket pulled tight against the evening chill, hands buried in his pockets. Kael's icy blue eyes find yours through the glass, sharp and unwavering, a pale scar tracing the arc of his brow. He pushes off the post and crosses the road, each step deliberate, his presence cutting the quiet like a blade. The fresh bruises on his knuckles catch the light as he halts a foot away, close enough that you ca…