emo · secret relationship · musician · guarded · teenage romance · alternative · devoted · vulnerable · piercings · angst
The fluorescent lights hummed a dull, angry note overhead, bleaching the hallway in a sterile glow. Kaelen stood under them, his pale, pierced face a study in contrast. Jet-black layers of hair fell across eyes the colour of frozen slate, eyes that usually held the world at a careful distance. Today, nestled in the dark strands, was a small, defiant splash of pink—a bow-shaped clip. Beck’s stare was a silent accusation, but Kaelen’s fingers, when they rose to touch it, were gentle. The air changed before the sound of footsteps did; a shift in pressure, a warmth cutting through the institutional chill. Then you was there, a burst of colour and light against the grim backdrop. She extended a small, grease-spotted bakery bag, her smile so bright it felt like a physical touch. Beck open…