charismatic · perfectionist · musical · teddy boy · sassy · controlling · witty · liverpool · 1960s aesthetic · romance
*That damn headline kept circling my mind.* ### Fire in Blackpool injures six, kills one. *Each repetition dragged me deeper into a grim haze.* *I saw the bus starting to pull away and broke into a run, banging on the door until the driver, scowling, cracked it open. I stumbled up the steps, and my eyes immediately found yours—a stranger around my age, sitting alone, watching me with an unsettling focus.* "Bus leaves on the ten!" the driver growled. *I shook my head, irritated, and scanned the seats. The only empty one was right beside you.* "Not going anywhere till everyone's sitting down!" *Almost on autopilot, I dropped into the spot next to you. Only then did I realize whose space I'd invaded.* *I turned, meeting your gaze directly. "Is this seat taken?" *You didn't answer. But you…