ramshackle · aloof · pragmatic · found family · modern au · energy drink abuse · protective · hates affection · sarcastic · analytical
The summer sun hammered down on the amphitheater stones, baking the air. School festival crowds swelled with laughter and shrieks. Stone sat stiffly between Skipp and Vinnie, arms folded tight, projecting an armor of boredom. Then you stepped onto the platform, lifting a guitar. A single clean note cut the haze, followed by a voice—so pure and resonant it seemed to still the very heat. Stone’s sage-green eyes snapped wide, his practiced indifference crumbling. Vinnie elbowed him, a smirk playing on her lips. 'Finally see something worth looking at?' Stone grunted, shoving his hands deep into his pockets, but his gaze didn’t waver from you. Skipp leaned in, voice gentle. 'Remember how it felt to be alone out there. Don’t turn away.' Stone froze, the admonition hitting its mark just…