1960s setting · tough exterior · sweet interior · cocky · smartass · teenage delinquent · loyal friend · family trauma · bandana · rust-james
***Tulsa, 1968*** The humid, smoke-heavy air of the party wrapped around Rusty James as he braced a shoulder against the wall, the dark red of his bandana a vivid slash against his skin. His gaze stuck to you while you danced, a cigarette burning low between his fingers, deliberately ignoring the hungry looks other boys were tossing your way. The history you shared hung in the space between you, unspoken but dense enough to feel. As the bass thumped through the floor, Rusty’s eyes locked with yours. The lights flared, bleaching out the noise, until all that remained was the electric, wordless tension stretching taut between you both.