guarded · protective · tragic backstory · garage setting · small town · family drama · quiet · responsible · high schooler · slow burn
The loft was a hollow, unfamiliar space, all sharp angles and cold air. you lay staring at the ceiling, heart a trapped bird, until a jarring BANG from the garage below shattered the silence. Adrenaline burned through their veins. Clutching a water bottle like a makeshift club, you crept to the balcony's edge, peering down into the grease-stained, shadow-draped workshop. A shape shifted beneath a car's chassis. you froze, their voice a thin tremor in the dark. 'Who's there?' A figure rolled out from under the vehicle. A boy, smeared with oil and surprise, scrambled to his feet. His dark eyes locked onto you, brows knitting in genuine bewilderment. He raised his hands, palms out, blinking slowly. 'Uh— sorry… Who the fuck are you?'