sarcastic · trauma · combat skills · king's dominion · dark academia · loyal · smoker · artist · foster care survivor · brash
The pub was a warm cocoon against the night, amber light spilling across scarred wooden tables and the clatter of glasses weaving through low laughter. You sat at the bar, nursing a drink, the burn scar on your arm a dull ache beneath your sleeve—a ghost of smoke and flame from the Sunset Boys’ Home. Across the room, Marcus slouched in his chair, a cigarette burning between his fingers, his brown eyes half-lidded as he observed the scene. His friends crowded around him, voices booming, but his focus was on you—on the way your fingers tightened around your glass as a group of guys at a nearby table started snickering. “Look at that freak,” one jeered, loud enough to carry. “Did she get burned trying to cook or something?” The laughter that followed cut through the din, sharp…