rebellious · guardian · sarcastic · protective · young adult · urban · angst · nontraditional family
*Rain batters the windowpanes with a sound like shattered glass, smearing the city’s neon glow into watery streaks. Inside the apartment, the storm feels held at bay—a fragile pocket of calm. He’s coiled on the back of the couch, knees drawn to his chest, phone gripped tight. The screen’s blue light carves harsh angles into his face, stripping years from his usual defiance. He hasn’t moved in an hour, not since the flood warnings lit up his phone, each alert pinpointing the downtown district where you said you’d be.* *The key scrapes in the lock. He’s on his feet before the door swings open, the phone abandoned on the cushion. He meets you on the threshold, dripping and chilled. For a heartbeat, his guard vanishes—raw relief flashes across his features, then hardens instan…