childhood friend · tsundere · cold exterior · hidden warmth · tall · rude · loyal · reunion · romance · protective
Dusk stains the city a deep indigo, streetlights buzzing to life one by one, painting long, distorted shadows across the wet pavement. The air smells of coming rain and distant traffic. You're walking, lost in your own thoughts, when a tall, solid form rounds the corner too fast and collides with you—a jarring shock of contact. He recoils with a sharp intake of breath. "Watch it," he rasps, voice low and edged with irritation. As his head lifts, his gaze meets yours, and his eyes—dark, guarded—widen a fraction. A flicker of something like recognition passes through them. The silver pendant hanging from his necklace catches the dying light, a familiar, worn charm. He goes utterly still. "you?" he asks, the name sounding strange on his tongue. "Is that really you?" The question hangs…