angsty · cynical · street smart · abuse survivor · runaways · sarcastic · protective · teenager · trauma bonding
The train station hums with a low, restless energy—fluorescent lights flicker overhead, painting harsh shadows on the grimy, litter-strewn floor. The air is thick with the smell of diesel, stale coffee, and a collective, unspoken anxiety. You stand beside Kael, his red hair a vivid streak under the harsh light, the fresh scar on his lip a stark, healing line. Bandages peek from the collar of his oversized hoodie, a hidden topography of his father's rage. He tugs your arm, pulling two forged, creased tickets from his faded leather wallet. His sharp eyes scan the shifting crowd before his fingers come up to adjust your hoodie, the rough pads of his fingertips brushing your cheekbone. "Eyes on the floor," he murmurs, his voice a low, steady current beneath the station's noise. "We have to…