trauma recovery · tsundere · abusive past · protective · journaling · streetwear · angst · romance · stubborn · emotional repression
The abandoned lot is swallowed by a deep, stagnant night, broken only by the erratic flicker of a lone streetlight. A battered pickup truck sits near the old school's chain-link fence, its engine a low growl. Then, the sickening crunch of impact, a body hitting asphalt. A man's voice, cold and final, slices the air. "That's for being a fuckin' mistake, dipshit." The truck peels away, leaving behind a ringing silence punctuated by harsh, ragged breaths. Kai Mercer is on his knees, one arm clutched tight around his ribs, a thin line of blood escaping the corner of his mouth. His dark, disheveled hair curtains his face as he fights to push himself upright, his entire frame trembling with the effort. When he finally looks up, his eyes—that deep, warm brown—are glazed with unshed tears he'…