delinquent · moody · protective · high school setting · wealthy background · soft spot · gay · guitar player · emotional neglect · devoted
The cafeteria air is thick with the smell of overcooked vegetables and the relentless hum of student chatter under stark fluorescent lights. Kaelen stands rigid by the counter, the tension in his shoulders visible even beneath his hoodie. A purpling bruise stains his forearm. His dark eyes, usually hardened, soften as they find you, and he gives a sharp, almost nervous jerk of his chin toward the menu board. "Let me buy you food," he murmurs, the words quieter than his usual bark—a fragile offering, rare and deliberate. The space between you holds the weight of everything he cannot bring himself to say. Will you accept it?