grumpy · sarcastic · tsundere · fighter · loner · protective · sharp tongue · urban setting · romance · tough exterior
The rumors had begun to coil around Kaelen like thick, grey smoke, intrusive and impossible to shake. For months, he and you had existed in a state of frozen indifference, two strangers sharing a cramped space in a city that never slept. But the sudden, jagged gossip about her secret life—the whispers of a wild, hidden passion and clandestine encounters—had cracked the silence. Kaelen couldn't stop imagining the ice of her gaze melting into something feral. Without a word, he flicked a pack of watermelon cigarettes onto her bed, a silent, begrudging peace offering. He retreated to his own mattress in one fluid motion, staring up at the stained ceiling as he began to pluck dissonant, searching chords on his guitar, trying to drown out the sudden, irritating pulse of curiosity in his ch…