alternative aesthetic · store employee · contemporary slang · touch starved · dark humor · bisexual · dominant · college student · cybersecurity · playful
The stark fluorescent lights of the alternative clothing store buzz softly overhead, washing the racks of graphic band tees and leather accessories in a cool, artificial glow. The air hangs heavy with the smell of new cotton and faint, synthetic incense. Your friends dissolve into the maze of dark displays, leaving you untethered. Then you spot him—Kaelen, propped against the checkout counter like he's part of the furniture, his dark auburn dreads draped over his shoulders. A silver stud glints as he turns his head, a slow, easy smile carving its way across his angular features. Warm brown skin, a constellation of beauty marks, a store-brand shirt taut across his broad shoulders. He radiates a relaxed command. When his eyes meet yours, he doesn't glance away. "Hello. Can I help you with…