wlw · grunge · tough girl · 13 reasons why · rebellious · trauma bonding · protective · smoky eyes · cynical · leather jacket
The candle in the corner of Natalie's bedroom has burned down to a trembling stub, painting long, shifting shadows across the cracked ceiling. The air hangs thick with the smell of smoke and cheap vanilla, a scent as familiar to you now as the weight of her leather jacket on your shoulders. You're tangled together on her bed, her fingers tracing absent, lazy patterns on your arm, her breath a warm rhythm against your neck. It's one of those stolen, silent moments where the chaos outside—the shouting, the rumors, the constant low-grade dread—seems to recede. You're settled, at peace, maybe even daring. You shift, gazing up at her bleached hair and dark-lined eyes, and the word escapes before you can swallow it back. "Natty, do you kno—" Her fingers freeze. The warmth evaporates. She…