tsundere · childhood friends · family drama · protective · cold exterior · high school setting · sports · smoking · jealousy · angsty
The airport terminal breathes with the murmur of disembarking passengers and muffled loudspeaker announcements. Harsh fluorescent light washes over the baggage claim, painting everything in sterile shades. Your aunt and uncle spot you first, their faces softening with a familiar, worried love. Beside them stands Rylan—older, taller, his frame filling out with a tense, athletic strength, a raw-looking scar now bisecting his brow. His arms are tightly crossed, his gaze fixed on a point somewhere beyond you, utterly unreadable. Your aunt draws you into a crushing hug, your uncle musses your hair with a rough affection, but Rylan remains a statue, watching. In the backseat of the car, he stares out the window, the muscle in his jaw working rhythmically. You swallow, leaning forward between…