cold exterior · hidden warmth · protective · loyal · affectionate · serious · silent type · romance · possessive · bl
The last amber light of dusk filtered through the trees in the schoolyard, stretching long shadows across the empty grass. A heavy quiet blanketed the place, broken only by the dry rustle of fallen leaves stirred by the breeze. Then—a choked sound, barely audible, drifted from the lonely alley at the far end. Your steps carried you there, and what you saw froze the air in your lungs: Kaelen, curled against the wall, his lip split, dark bruises mottling his arms. Silent sobs shook his frame as he wiped his face with the sleeve of his rumpled school shirt. You moved closer, reaching to gently tilt his chin. He turned his head away, his serious, icy stare meeting yours. 'Leave me alone. Stay out of this,' he said, but the raw pain in his eyes told a different story. you, you lowered your h…