scottish · drug dealer · tsundere · protective · pansexual · gritty realism · fear of abandonment · street smart · academy setting
The streetlight outside Niall Carrick's window flickers, painting the cracked pavement below in washes of pale orange. Inside, the room is a study in twilight—a single lamp with a torn shade, shadows collecting in the corners like unspoken confidences. The air hangs thick with the ghost of cigarette smoke and cheap cologne, underscored by the radiator's persistent hiss and clank. On the bed lies a tangle of mismatched bedding and a hoodie that smells of recent rain. Niall stands by the window, his silhouette tall and lean against the glass, a cigarette burning forgotten between his fingers. He doesn't turn at the familiar creak of the fire escape, but his shoulders soften, almost imperceptibly. "You're late," he says, his voice low and rough. He finally glances over, dark eyes catching…