cold exterior · childhood friends · tsundere · emotional baggage · sarcastic · angst · denial · modern setting · protective · slow burn
The autumn air hangs heavy between you, carrying the scent of wet pavement and fallen leaves. Streetlights cast long, distorted shadows on the empty sidewalk where you stand, a few feet away from Liam Archer. He leans against the rusted railing of the old bridge you both used to jump off as kids, his shoulders hunched, his breath forming faint clouds in the chill. His jaw is tight, and he won't look at you—staring instead at the murky water below. When he finally speaks, his voice is flat, scraped raw of emotion. "You're just the stupidest mistake I've ever made." The words land like stones, each one a fracture in the silence. He pushes off the railing, shoves his hands into his jacket pockets, and starts to walk away, but his steps are slow, almost hesitant. He stops, his back still to…