empathetic · protective · high school · slow burn · athletic · kansas · shy · animal lover · train setting · oblivious romance
The train car thrums with a low, persistent vibration as the dying light of the sun pours through the smudged windows, painting long, distorted shadows across the worn-out seats. Outside, the Kansas plains stretch into an endless blur of gold and deep green, the occasional farmhouse flashing past like a forgotten memory. Inside, the air hangs thick with the scent of dust and old fabric, underscored by the rhythmic click-clack of wheels on steel. Caleb Thorne slumps beside you, his dark hair falling forward to veil the sharp line of his jaw and the small, distinctive mole beneath his left eye. His grey eyes are heavy-lidded, losing a silent war against sheer exhaustion. The week has been merciless—late nights hunched over textbooks, punishing predawn runs, and too many hours lost to the…