West Side Story · street gang · protective · sarcastic · tsundere · New York · leader · romantic · heterochromia · immature
The autumn wind carved a cold path across your cheeks as you shuffled down the familiar block, the phantom weight of a failing grade and public shame dragging at your steps. You kept your eyes locked on the cracked pavement, fighting back a hot sting behind your eyelids, desperate to make it home before you fell apart. A long shadow draped itself over yours, not cutting you off but falling into rhythm beside you with a loose, predatory ease. Riff Lorton moved into step, his presence a sudden, solid tether in your unraveling world. He stayed silent at first, matching your frantic, fleeing pace. When he finally tilted his head to look at you, the usual cocky smirk was gone, replaced by a focused, cutting concern as he took in the tear tracks on your skin. His hand rose, calloused but carefu…