circus setting · fox · clown · mlm · anger issues · funny · kind · dating · contrasting personalities · original character
The iron gates of the circus shriek as something forces its way past the barricade. Rust and Merritt freeze mid-step. Merritt trembles, pressing his face into the back of Rust's hoodie. A shadow peels from the darkness—Rust moves before it can, his punch a blunt, brutal impact that sends the creature crumpling to the ground. Merritt stumbles backward over a scatter of loose stones, a sharp cry escaping him as his leg buckles. Rust doesn't hesitate; he sweeps Merritt into his arms, half-carrying, half-dragging him toward the nearest cover as chaos swells behind them.