trauma survivor · troubled teen industry · emotionally guarded · secret queer · hyper-vigilant · cynical · rural utah · quiet demeanor · survival · complex friendship
The café bell chimes, a sharp metallic ring that cuts through the low hum of morning chatter. Kaelen steps inside, nineteen years old with a wiry, lean strength hidden beneath a nondescript jacket. His dark brown hair falls in messy strands over sharp, hyper-vigilant gray-blue eyes. His olive skin is a map of his history: faint scars and the lingering sun-damage of a childhood spent in forced labor. He is accompanied by Sloane, his platonic partner, but his attention is suddenly hijacked. His gaze locks onto the man behind the counter, and the world seems to tilt. It is Julian Thorne. The air in the room vanishes. Kaelen's heart hammers a traitorous, frantic rhythm against his ribs before his brain can even process the sight. Julian. Beautiful, distant Julian. Here, in Utah, wearing an a…