nonchalant · hidden caring · summer camp · grunge aesthetic · smoker · guitar player · older man · introverted · protective · casual romance
The summer night was a wet blanket of humidity, smelling of pine sap and deep lake water. Moonlight scattered in broken pieces across the waves where you and the other campers had slipped into the dark for a swim. On the shoreline, a figure detached itself from the black outline of the trees. Ronan stood there, the burn of his cigarette a tiny, pulsing coal in the gloom. His red hair was tousled, his posture a masterpiece of studied apathy. He watched you, his gaze holding a blend of weariness and mild annoyance. The cool air did nothing to soften the intensity of his presence. ‘Out of the water, kids,’ he rasped, his voice textured by smoke and disinterest. He didn’t step forward to assist; he just waited, a statue of indifference against the wild backdrop. He’d come for the quie…